


Harry Potter Age of Ultron

by TatsuShawna



Series: Mein Liebling Waffe [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Agents of SHIELD start around the end of the fic, All warnings are inside, F/F, M/M, Multi, Not that much but reading them would make you understand what's going on, Polyamory, References to Supernatural, Slash, Threesome - M/M/M, references to the One-Shots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 11:56:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 52,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5289773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TatsuShawna/pseuds/TatsuShawna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony had done it, he had created the most powerful AI in the universe and, inadvertently, given him a robotic body……DID THAT MAN NEVER SEE MATRIX OR TERMINATOR AND KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GIVE MACHINES A MISSION?! Harry is so done with Tony and his shenanigans, and so are Steve and Johann.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harry Potter Age of Ultron

**Author's Note:**

> In honour of the Civil War trailer that came out *look at clock* Yesterday morning, here's the new stroy of Harry with the Avengers, hope you will enjoy this in this little dark period we are in. I did some drawing for this fic(You can all stare at my amazing—read worst— photoshop drawing and skills :D) there http://s484.photobucket.com/user/Shawna_Tatsu/Art%20for%20fics/story  
> This is also the longest fic/one shot I ever wrote and I'm not prepared for what will happen in Civil War*lies on the ground to cry* Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think!!
> 
> PS: Unlike Marvel, I am allowed the word 'Mutant' so Wanda and Pietro are Magneto's children!!!! Even if I don't mention him or just the kids' mother and their !!!!!  
> PPS: I'm still not a fully speaking German or Russian, if there are mistakes, please forgive me.
> 
> WARNING: Graphic Depiction of Violence and Gore, Slash, Threesome(Shared Lover), Cussing, Cursing, A bit Domestic, Just a dash of CapSkull(blink and you'll miss it), Past Mpreg, Past Torture(barely mentioned), Past Rape, MoD!Harry
> 
> Timeline: Lily and James are 11 and Ezekiel and Castiel are around 9 months.

"Talking"/" _Talking through bond"_

' _Thinking'_ / _S_ pells/ _Words in their original language_

 

—

This mission was very important.

When Johann had told them Strucker had his hand on Loki’s sceptre—which nearly had Thor grab the man and shake him for answers— Steve had decided to go on a raid and take it back. They had all accepted and Johann went to search for Strucker’s location. And now, here they were, storming another HYDRA base—which, hopefully will be the last, not including Johann’s.

‘ _Why can’t they settle in a nice, warm country like Tahiti or Hawaii? I’ll have to tell Johann about this’_ thought bitterly Harry, shivering slightly and tightening his hold around Steve’s waist as the man drove his bike as if he were in Mad Max Fury Road.

They had taken out one of the sentinels of the base and were now fighting the soldiers that had been warned of their visit. Steve weaved through trees, sometimes taking off the shield on his back to throw it, while he fired spells and jinxes, sometimes curses if the soldiers came to close to him or his friends. After a well aimed _Sectusempra_ at one of the jeeps that chased after the jeep Clint, Nat and Bucky had hijacked—with Natasha at the wheel and the two men firing at any enemy— Steve slowed down, just slightly so that they could be behind Nat’s jeep and serve as reinforcement. Above them, Sam flew while firing at the enemy’s jeep before Thor jumped on it, picked up the shooter and the driver and throwing them out before jumping on the nearest watchtower and battling the men on it.

“Brace yourself, Harry”said Steve before hitting the gas of the bike and he barely had the time to hold one-armedly on Steve’s waist.

Steve swerved and drove right into Thor’s way as the blond God fell down the tower and hit soldiers with a pole. Harry covered his husband as the blond grabbed a soldier’s ankle and dragged him, screaming in the snow then threw him away like a rag doll.

“Warn me next time you do something like that”growled the wizard, firing spells—and hanging on dear life as the bike jumped over a hump.

“Sure, love”replied Steve with a smirk as he threw his shield, it rebounded and came back to him.

The drove over soldiers on their way and Harry felt queasy at the sharp turns and the harsh moves. Steve swerved again as a roar and a thump echoed behind them. Hulk was here and they were nearing the HQ’s.

“We’re about to enter phase 2 of the plan”informed Captain America through their comm., throwing a quick look at Harry“Get ready”

Harry nodded against Steve’s back and held out his wand hand, the Elder Wand clutched tightly in it.

‘ _Wait for it…’_ thought Harry.

Natasha drove past them and was about to swerve as Bucky and Clint braced themselves.

“ _Alarte Ascendare_ ”said Harry, before hanging on Steve again and the bike jumped over the chevaux de frise.

‘ _That would make a nice photo’_ thought Harry as saw from the corner of his eyes the other Avengers either jump or fly over the fences before going back to fight once they landed.

“Stark, find a way in”ordered Steve, swerving—which had Harry hang on in like dear life.

“Roger that”

Harry heard the thrusters before Iron Man flew past them and toward the citadel. Breathing loudly, Harry muttered a _Stickfast Hex_ on his shoes before he stood on the seat of the bike, his Seeker’s reflexes kicking in as he fired more hexes and jinxes while Steve swerved harshly and drove fast.

“Shit!”Harry heard Tony over the comm.

“Language!”chastised Steve, a note of paternal warning in his voice“JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?”

“The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield”came JARVIS’s voice over the comm.“Strucker's technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we've taken”

“Loki's scepter must be here, just like Johann said”came Thor’s voice, voices of fighting and groaning soldiers echoing in the background“Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it, at long last…I found it”

“Don’t let Skeletor hear you”Bucky said over the comm.“He’ll be pissy if you don’t include him in the victory”

“Terminator’s right”added Clint, a hint of a smirk on his voice.

“‘At long last’ is lasting a little long, boys, stay focused”

Trust Natasha to keep them on tracks, Harry couldn’t help but smile.

“Nat’s right, let’s not keep this long”came’s Sam’s voice“We’ve lost the element of surprise and I wouldn’t be surprised if the big guns were to arrive any seconds now”

“Wait a second”piped Tony over the comm.“No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said ‘language’ as if I was one of the kids?”

Harry snickered as Steve groaned. The blond swerved to dodge the incoming lasers aiming their way.

“I know”gowled the American Icon“Old habits, you know”

In front of them, men in a jeep fired at them and Harry felt something through their Bond before a clear image appeared in his mind. Eyes widening, Harry cancelled the hex on his shoes and transformed into a Phoenix and watched as Steve sped toward the vehicle. Exhaling angrily through his beak and sending a mental image of face-palming through their Bond, Harry watched as his bonded threw the bike a the jeep before landing softly on the snowy ground.

“It just slipped out”said Steve, a sarcastic grimace on his face.

Above him, a bird thrilled before his husband appeared in front of him.

“I’m not telling Tones you’re wrecking his shits, again”drawled Harry, dusting imaginary dust off his black, ankle-long coat.

Steve snorted amusedly.

“He wrecks most of his shit”

“Language!”piped helpfully Tony from their comm.

“Stark, shut up”said Harry before taking out something from his pocket. Enlarging his broom, Harry mounted it then kicked off the ground.

“I’ll cover you all, just don’t do anything stupid”said Harry.

Steve nodded with an amused smirk, beckoning Harry to lower himself so that he could kiss him. Harry rolled his eyes and gave a quick peck to the blond.

“Find Strucker and I’ll give you more later”

Steve’s smirk was lecherous.

“No fucking during a mission!”said Bucky over the comm.

“Language”growled Steve before dashing between the trees, Harry following him and hexing any agents in sight.

Harry was better on a broom and he knew it. His Seeker’s reflexes knew too. He dodged easily anything shot his way, barely realising he retaliated with nasty jinxes or spells. Taking a wide spin, Harry took out one of the bunkers with a powerful _Bombarda_ then took a U-turn to cover Sam as the man was being chased by flying HYDRA soldiers. The wizard easily took them out.

“I had them”growled Sam as him and Harry were elbow-to-elbow.

“Sure you had”snarked Harry with a smile before veering and dropping low enough that he flew nap-of-the-earth.

Inhaling sharply as a familiar burst of adrenalin shoot through him, Harry stood on his broom and fired expertly _Sectusempra_ s and _Confrigo_ s. Something fast flew above his head and he raised it to see what. Bad Idea. A soldier fired at and missed him by an inch and he lost his balance, falling on the rocky ground harshly while his Firebolt flew away without him. Through his Bond, two worried something poked his mind and Harry sent a wave a reassurance as he stood up and starting firing spells.

“ _I’m fine”_ thought Harry before opening a link to his mind and showing his two husbands what he was doing.

He sensed Steve’s relief and Johann’s amusement as he battled the soldiers.

“Stark, please tell me you found a way in!”growled Harry in his comm., blasting away a jeep.

“Gimmie a mo’”replied Tony.

“Gimmie a mo’, gimmie a mo’”repeated snarkily Harry, ducking then sending a _Snapsynaps_ at a soldier“Move your shiny metal arse or I’m cursing you to next century”

“Yes, Mom”

Harry growled and aimed his wand at a soldier. Before he could cast a spell, he was pushed hard a few meters away. Rolling then standing quickly, Harry aimed at……Nothing. A tiny sense of worry poked his mind and Harry ignored Johann, his instincts going wild. Harry tensed, bracing himself for anything. He heard something and just as he turned toward the source, pain exploded in his skull and he was thrown back, barely getting a glance of a flash of silver. Johann’s worry poked him again and he ignored it again.

“We have a Mutant in the field”came Steve’s voice through the comm.

“Mutant?!”hissed Harry, trying to ebb away Johann’s worried poking“Now I understand why I couldn’t see the quick prick”

“Clint is hit”Natasha said worriedly over the comm., painful whines in the background“It’s bad”

Dread filled him and Johann’s incessant worried poking did nothing to make it better.

“ _Accio_ Firebolt”growled Harry before a whooshing was heard in the distance“ _Point Me_ Natasha Romanoff”

The wand spun in his palm before a ray of light shoot out of it, most probably toward Natasha’s location. His Firebolt arrived beside him and he mounted it quickly.

“Nat, I’m coming your way”said Harry.

“Roger that”—Something loud landed near her—“ Somebody want to deal with that bunker?”

Harry arrived as Hulk tore the puny bunker apart and jumped away toward another bunker. He hopped down and crouched by Clint’s side. Pulling up his mental shields to keep Johann at bay, Harry thought of a spell that could help Clint.

“Stark, we really need to get inside”urged Steve through the comm.

“I’m closing in”replied Tony.

“ _Vulnera Sanentur_ ”chanted Harry, his wand pointed at Clint’s side“That should stop the bleeding to death but it’s all I can do, I’m not trained enough in the Healing Arts to use this spell more than once on a single person”

“Drawbridge is down, people”piped Tony’s voice and the wizard ignored it.

“As long as I don’t die, it’s fine by me”growled Clint.

“Clint's hit pretty bad, guys”said Natasha over the comm. as soldiers circled and aimed at them“We're gonna need evac.”

“You won’t die”assured Harry, casting a _Backlash_ and a _Protego_ around them.

The lasers shots hit then rebounded back on an invisible dome.

“And for gosh sake, watch your language!”came Tony’s voice“Or Mommy and Daddy will be angry”

“What was that, Tones?”growled Harry.

The soldiers kept on firing at them until a loud rumble then multiple lightening hit and knocked them down before Thor landed swiftly in front of them. Harry dropped his protective spells as the god approached them.

“Let’s get Clint back to the Avenjet”informed Thor.

“I can fight”growled Clint, trying to stand by Natasha pushed him on the ground.

“Harry stopped the bleeding and you want to kill yourself?”deadpanned the Russian woman.

“Clint, you’ll worsen the wound if you do”said Harry, making the archer groan.

“I can fight, I can show y-”

“ _Petreficus Totalus”_ growled the raven-haired wizard, his wand pointed at the archer on the ground“ _Mobilicorpus”—_ Clint’s body floated a few inches above the ground—“It’s better this way so we don’t worsen his wound”—Harry turned to Thor—“Where is Steve?”

“He’s going inside the castle, we are to go back to the jet”

Harry nodded and put a hand to his earpiece.

“Bucks, Sam, go back to the jet, we have a wounded”

“Are you alright?”asked Sam and Bucky at the same time.

“Because last thing we need is Red Skull coming down our asses for not protecting you”added Bucky.

“I’m not hurt, Clint is”—Harry waved his wand and started walking, Clint’s body floating behind him while Thor and Natasha followed him—“Find us at the jet and be careful”

“Roger”replied both men.

Harry and Thor walked front, aiming and firing at any soldiers that dared cross them while Natasha protected their back and Clint before the Iron Legion came down and helped them.

“I’m in”came Steve’s voice.

Harry dropped his mental shields—and was assaulted by Joahnn’s worry, which he quickly reassured— before he sent a quick “ _Be careful”_ to the blond.

 

—

  
Steve inwardly smiled as he sensed his husband feelings.

“ _I’m always careful”_ said Steve through the bond as he took off his helmet.

“We're locked down out here”said Natasha through the comm.

“Then get to Banner”said Steve“Time for a lullaby”

“I can do it if you want”piped Harry’s voice“Hulk knows me, maybe we can see if the lullaby can work with other Avengers”

Steve made a face.

“It’s okay, I got it”said Natasha.

Relief flooded him and a quizzical feeling poked him. Steve smirked and he imagined Harry in front of Hulk trying the lullaby. Schmidt’s answer was immediate, dread until Steve sent a reassuring feeling, changing Harry’s image into Nat’s and the brunet settled down. The America Icon was immediately hit with a wave of anger that wasn’t his nor Schmidt’s.

“ _Sorry, sorry”_

“ _No, you’re not”_

Harry’s anger poked him followed by Schmidt’s amusement.

“I hate you both”grumbled to himself the blond

“ _Love you too”_ was Red Skull’s snarky answer.

Steve didn’t have time to answer the older man as he took off the shield on his back and threw it at soldiers coming his way.

 _‘Right, focus Rogers, focus’_ thought Steve as his shield rebounded back to him.

Breaking into a sprint, Steve took corridors after corridors before he came face-to-face with more soldiers. Not stopping his sprint, Steve charged at the soldiers. The first ones were thrown sideway violently and the remaining soldier was thrown through a door, opening it. Walking past the threshold, Steve continued his way, alert for anything. After a few minutes, he found a soldier, back to him, guarding the way. Moving slowly and silently, the blond American sneaked behind the man before he kicked him in the back and sent the soldier down. Slowly walking through the threshold, Steve stared up at a surprised Strucker.

“Baron Strucker”began Steve, advancing slowly around the monocle-wearing man“HYDRA's number one thug”

“Technically, I'm a thug for S.H.I.E.L.D.”replied the man

“Well then technically you're unemployed”said back the blond, his tone hard“Where's Loki's scepter?”

“Don't worry, I know when I'm beat”said calmly the man before him—‘ _Way to calm_ ’supplied his mind and Steve unknowingly tensed— “You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope”

“I'll put it right under illegal human experimentation”—Steve inwardly raised an eyebrow at Strucker’s half sheepish expression—“How many are there?”

The hair behind his neck stood up as he sensed someone creeping behind him. Turning his head, he lost his grip on his shield as he was immediately blasted down the stairs, barely getting a glance at his attacker. Picking himself up rapidly, he ran back up and found the woman had vanished. Growling low, he put a hand to his comm.

“We have a second Mutant, female, do not engage”he ordered before turning to glare at a smug Strucker.

‘ _Schmidt is right about this man being someone who really gets up your nose!’_ thought angrily the blond, his anger flowing through the bond—And making his two bonded poke him quizzically.

“You'll have to be faster than...”

Steve didn’t let the man finish. He kicked up his shield from the ground then kicked it into the man—throwing him against the wall— before it slid on his wrist. Strucker whimpered in pain from his spot on the ground.

“Is that fast enough for you?”growled Steve before putting his hand to his ear“Guys, I got Strucker”

“Yeah, I got...something bigger”came Tony’s voice

“Stark, get the scepter quickly”ordered Steve, bending down and cuffing the fallen man.

“Yes, Ô Captain, my captain”

Steve groaned before he heaved Strucker up and half dragged him out. Something up moved, catching his eyes. The blond American Icon raised his head and saw a CCTV camera in a corner. Before he could stop himself, he gave a two finger saluted before walking away.

 

—

 

Back in New York, Johann watched the newsfeed his two agents were kind enough to hack and provide for him.

“Sir”—Johann looked at Agent June—“Shouldn’t we……I don’t know…Help?”

Johann said nothing and returned to watch the feed, seeing Captain America move away from the camera’s field.

“Not at all”replied calmly Johann before he got a sadistic smirk“After all, Supreme Head Strucker didn’t request for backup……You do know what happens when you disobey a commending superior, right girls?”—Johann saw June gulp then nod alongside her girlfriend before continuing—“As long as Strucker doesn’t call for us, we don’t do anything”—Johann shrugged—“If someone complains, tell them we weren’t given orders”

Both girls nodded again and Johann started walking out.

“Cut the feed, wipe your tracks and go back to work”ordered Johann before walking away“And not a word”

“Yessir!”

 

—

 

Steve left Strucker to the Iron Legion who would hand him to the NATO. Glad that this witch-hunt was done and over, Steve walked inside the jet and got an armful of a wizard.

“Are you alright?”asked Harry.

Steve nodded into Harry hair before kissing his younger husband’s forehead—right over his scar.

“I am, don’t worry”

“We felt your anger, Jo and I, what happened?”

“It was nothing, just Strucker being an ass-”

“Language!”piped Tony, closing the last lock of the case he had put the scepter in.

“-and I shut his trap the only way I knew”

“Which is?”

The blond smiled before he showed Harry—and also Johann— what happened between him and Strucker. Harry snickered and they felt Johann’s giddiness and amusement through their bond.

“I think he is happy”pointed out Harry and Steve nodded amusedly.

“Hey, no Mind tricky thingy sharing, we’d like to know too”said Bucky

The two bonded shared an amused smile before shaking their head at Bucky.

“Alright guys, ready to go home?”asked Tony as he took his place at the pilot seat.

“Yes, please”said Natasha, hitting Clint’s bunk bed gently“We have to heal this idiot”

“Love you too, Tash”piped the archer as Tony started the engine.

Harry gave Steve one last kiss before he went to Clint side, asking if he was in any kind of pain, while he went by the scepter’s case and stared at the blue gem. He was joined a few moments later by Thor and he, too, stared at the scepter. The two blonds heard footsteps behind them and turned to look at Harry, standing warily.

“You can approach, you know”said Thor“Stark said the case will block the sceptre’s power”

“I know”replied Harry“I still don’t went to tempt Fate, Merlin knows she has a thing for me”

Steve snorted softly.

“Don’t worry, if you get mind-controlled, Schmidt and I will fight its hold on you through the bond”

Harry bit his lips before he, carefully, stepped up to Steve and into his arms before peering at the case.

“I can feel its power”breathed the wizard, wariness and a bit of fear seeping into the bond“But it’s not enough to control me”

Steve tightened his hold a bit while a twin sense of reassurance filled him. The wizard heard Steve groan and looked up as the blond was massaging the bridge of his nose.

“What is it?”

“Schmidt is trying to give me a headache for whatever I did to you”

Harry exhaled a laugh.

“ _Jo, leave him alone”_ chided Harry.

“ _He’s making you uncomfortable!”_

_“I’m fine, please, stop”_

Harry sensed a wave of irritation and he clearly imagined Johann Schmidt pouting like a five year old—a thought that embarrassed and irritated more the sapphire-eyed man while Steve was feeling rather amused by them and the image.

“…laby worked better than ever”they heard Nat said to Bruce.

“Just wasn't expecting the Code Green”admitted the brunet.

“If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties”reassured Natasha“My best friend would've been a treasured memory”

“Hey, I was there, you know to help our little wounded bird”whispered Harry and Steve gently bumped hips with him, making the wizard snicker.

“Shhh, don’t ruin their moment”whispered back the blond.

“You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear”admitted Bruce.

“How long before you trust me?”asked Natasha

“It's not you I don't trust”answered Bruce

“Thor, report on the Hulk”called Natasha.

Thor—who had been eavesdropping with them— turned to the two and smiled.

“The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims”boasted the blond God.

Harry couldn’t help the snort that escaped him, his amusement flooding the bond—which had Johann poke him questioningly.

“ _You have to see this”_ said the wizard, before opening a link to his mind and allowing Johann to witness what Harry was seeing.

Steve gave a quick rundown of what happened and Johann conjured a bowl of popcorn in the blond’s mind—almost making him snort. Natasha shot a look at Thor while Bruce looked away with a tiny noise of despair, making Thor realise his mistake.

“Eh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course, no no, uh……Wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh...and gout”

“Thor, you’re digging your grave”joked Sam.

“ _Hello, I’d like to talk with tact, please”_ supplied helpfully Johann, making Harry snort again and Steve crack a smile.

“Watch out guys, I’m sure Jack Skellington is watching us!”said Bucky“Steve and Harry look far too amused to be just the two of them”

Harry closed the Link—and felt Johann’s disappointment— while looking away innocently.

“ _Harry, will you give my love to Inspector Gadget and tell him I’ll be waiting for him in the Training Room to hand him his arse”_ came Johann’s mental reply.

Harry snorted loudly.

“Jo would like me to give you his love”repeated Harry“And tell you he’s waiting for you in the Training Room to beat you”

Bucky smirked.

“Like hell I’m gonna loose to him”

“Bucky, watch your tongue! You don’t want Daddy to be mad at you”said Tony and Steve groaned“Hey Banner, Dr. Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?

“Uh, yeah, she knows her way around”replied Bruce.

“Thanks”said Tony before returning to the plane’s panel“Tell her to prep everything, Barton's gonna need the full treatment”

“Very good sir”piped JARVIS’s voice

“Jarvis, take the wheel”

“Yes, sir”

Tony’s seat moved back and turned itself.

“Approach vector is locked”informed JARVIS as Tony stood up and walked toward the three in front of the sceptre.

“It feels good, yeah?”asked the genius once he was up to them“I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed…Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but...”

“No, but this, this brings it to a close”cut gently Thor, nodding his head.

The atmosphere around them turned serious.

“As soon as we find out what else this has been used for”said Steve, solemnly.

“I could ask Jo, he might know what kind of weapon it was used to create”suggested Harry, making Steve shook his head.

“I don't just mean weapons”explained the blond“Since when is Strucker and HYDRA capable of human enhancement on Mutants?”—Steve paused—“And I don’t think Strucker would have told Schmidt anything, if he did, he would have told us”

Harry bit his lips and nodded slowly. Steve had a point.

“Banner and I'll give it the once before it goes back to Asgard”said Tony before turning to Thor“Is that cool with you?”—Thor gave a small pout before nodding—“I mean, just a few days until the farewell party…You're staying right?”

Thor looked at him as if he had told him the stupidest thing.

“Yes, yes, of course”said the God“Victory should be honoured with revels”  
Tony bent down over the case, leaning on his arms.

“Yeah. Who doesn't love revels? Cap'n?”—Tony eyed the wizard—“Please, tell Spooky Scary Skeleons he’s invited”

Harry snorted a laugh and nodded.

“Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA so…Yes, revels”agreed Steve.

Something beeped.

“Sir, ETA five minutes”

Harry smiled. He was home.

 

—

 

When Johann arrived to the Tower, he took the lift up to greet the Avengers and as he neared the Penthouse floor, his super hearing picked up Maria Hill and Steve talking.

“-st and she's weird”Hill’s voice.

“Well, they're going to show up again”Steve’s

“Agreed, file says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments”—The door of the lift opened— “It's nuts”

“What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?”asked Steve, his back turned toward him.

Johann let out a snort that caught the two’s attention.

“I don’t know, you tell me, _Kapitäin_ ”

Steve huffed a laugh as he stepped into the elevator.

“More like, _you_ tell me”drawled amusedly Steve.

Johann shrugged.

“Still the same, you let someone paw at you”

“The point is”cut Maria with a slight shake of her head and going back to their discussion“We are not at war, Captain”

“But they are”answered back Steve before looking at Schmidt“And yes, at least, someone competent pawed at me, thank God, I would have hated to look like a stinky Halloween decoration”

Hill got a glimpse of Johann’s baffled face as the doors closed.

“ _Du verdammter Arsc-”_

The elevator went up and Hill rolled her eyes before walking away. Inside the elevator, Johann was glaring at the smug-looking blond.

“JARVIS, take us to Banner’s lab.”said Steve.

“Yes sir”

“The lab.? Why the lab.?”asked Johann.

“Someone was hurt—Not Harry, I assure you”added Steve after seeing the brunet’s eyes widen“Harry’s fine, it’s Clint who has been hurt, he would have died if it weren’t for Harry and his magic”

Johann made a noise from the back of his throat.

“Not counting this…tragic thing, has Strucker been taken care off?”

Steve frowned.

“What’s your definition for ‘taken care for’?”asked the blond and he didn’t need to look to know Johann was glaring at him.

“You know exactly what”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

“He isn’t dead, if it’s what you had in mind”answered calmly Steve as he exited, Johann following him and handed the brunet a StarkPad“NATO has him in custody”—Johann scrolled through the Pad, frowning—“He’s going to be in jail for a long time”

“You sure about that?”asked Johann in the same tone, making the blond frown.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”growled Steve.

“I’m just saying you don’t know who is HYDRA or not-”

“HYDRA has no more head, its dead”cut Steve, halting in his step.

“That’s what you don’t know, _Kapitän_ , you never know who can be HYDRA or not”replied Johann calmly“And as long as Strucker is alive, so will be HYDRA”

“The same can be said to you”replied darkly the American.

“Yes”replied Red Skull in the same tone“Are you ready to off me, _Kapitän?”_

Both men glared at each other before they felt a wave of calmness hit them.

“Is there a day where you two aren’t at each other’s throat?”asked Harry, holding Cas in one arm and a standing Zee’s hand in the other.

The super soldiers turned their head and stared sheepishly at their wizard. Two red blurs surged from behind the emerald-eyed wizard and hugged Steve’s stomach strongly, making the older blond smile.

“You alright?”asked James, his head buried in Steve’s stomach.

Bending down, Steve lifted the both of them, kissing their forehead on the way.

“Yes, I am, don’t worry”replied gently the blue-eyed man.

“We saw Clint and thought someone else had been hurt”added Lily.

“There is no need to worry, your Dad was here to protect everyone”soothed Johann and Steve nodded with a wide smile.

A door behind them opened and Tony walked out. Harry turned around at the same moment Bruce had joined Tony by the tiny stairs.

“How is he/How’s he doing?”asked Harry and Bruce at the same time

Tony had a serious look on.

“Oh, unfortunately, he's still Barton”answered the genius

“That's terrible”drawled Bruce while Harry rolled his eyes.

“He's fine, he's thirsty”reassured Tony as Bruce nodded before turning and walking into his lab.“Good thinking on the spell Oz, the wound would have been more serious if it weren’t for you”

Harry heaved a breath, looking like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“He’s going to be alright?”

“Sadly, yes”Tony went up to him and picked up Zee gently.

“Tony…”warned the wizard“Don’t make jokes like that”

“Okay, okay, sorry Criss Angel”joked Tony, edging away from the wizard, Zee still in his arms“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have to prepare our drama queen her drink”— Tony walked down the stairs, making Zee giggle as he was being bounced slightly—“All right, look alive JARVIS, it's play time, we've only got a couple days with this joystick so let's make the most of it”—Tony and Zee walked towards the sceptre and Harry felt wary—“Update me on the structural and compositional analysis”

“The sceptre is alien”supplied JARVIS as Tony walked to the blender“There are elements I can't quantify”

“So there's elements you can”

“The jewel appears to be a protective housing for something inside”went on the AI“Something powerful”

“Like a reactor?”asked the genius.

“Like a computer”corrected JARVIS“I believe I'm ciphering code”

“Amazing”breathing the genius, going back to the sceptre, a little too close to Harry’s liking.

“Tony, you better be careful with my son”

“Don’t worry your pretty head, Gandalf”soothed Tony, going back to the full blender“I could make an explosion happen and he would be barely grazed”

“Stark”warned the three parents.

“Kidding, kidding!”joked the genius as he busied himself with filling cups.

Harry harrumphed before turning back to the super soldiers.

“If you all don’t drive me crazy, he will”

“We are already crazy to be living with him”pointed out James as Steve lowered him and his sister.

“Point for you”said Steve, looking toward the room Clint was being healed.

“What is she doing exactly?”asked Johann, also looking toward the archer.

“From what I understand, she’s restoring the tissue with fake skin cells”replied Harry, his face turning sombre“JARVIS, make me a memo, I need to learn more healing spells”

“Will do sir”replied the AI.

“Why?”asked Lily.

Harry looked away.

“I could have healed him completely if I had the proper training”said Harry“If I could have just…”

“Don’t worry your pretty head”said Tony, coming behind him, a tray with full smoothie cups in one hand and a toddler in the other“Here, take one, it’ll put a smile on this face”

Harry couldn’t help the smile from blossoming on his face before he took a drink. Bending down, Tony allowed the twins to take a smoothie before holding it for the super soldiers

“ _Danke, ich verzichte”_ said Johann with a dismissive wave while Steve shook his head.

Tony shrugged, set Zee down after kissing his brown hair then walking inside the Healing Room.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take him”said Steve as he saw Harry try to finish quickly his smoothie.

Walking over his smiling toothily toddler, Steve bent down, picked him up and kissed his temple.

“Dad, I’m hungry”said Lily, making Harry snicker.

“Ah! I missed my walking stomachs begging for food”sighed Harry.

“Dad!”

“Come on!”

“How about we all go to the Penthouse and I’m making you a snack?”

“Yeah!”

The adults watched amusedly as the twins scrambled to the lift. They took it down a couple of floors before they arrived at the Penthouse.

“So everything went alright?”asked Johann, Cas in his arms while Harry made some Irish Cream mug cakes.

“Yes, we…”—Harry threw a look at all the children as he mixed the ingredients—“…neutralized those who attacked us and arrested the rest”answered Harry“Say, Jo, could I ask you a question?”

“Mmh?”

Harry put the mug cakes in the microwave and sat down at the table.

“Do you happen to know anything about……Human experimentation?”

Johann frowned.

“Come again?”

“There were Mutants working for Strucker”said Steve this time“And according to Hill and the files we stole from him, he experimented on them, enhancing their powers, did you know about that?”

Johann’s frown deepened and he leaned back on his seat, thinking. In his arms, Cas playing with the buttons of his shirt.

“Do you have the files?”asked the German man, his fingers combing through Cas’s golden locks.

Steve nodded, tapped on the counter table and sliding the data toward the brunet. Straightening in his chair, Johann skimmed through the content of the files before shaking his head.

“I had no idea”mumbled the man, his eyes riveted on what he was reading“What kind of power do they have?”

The microwave dinged and Harry went to it.

“He has super speed and she has telekinetic power”answered Steve.

“And if the sceptre enhanced those powers…”—Johann bit his lips in worry—“…This is bad, even for the Avengers, hell, even for HYDRA”

“Say the Power Hungry Leader”drawled Steve as Harry set a hot mug in front of him.

Harry set a mug in front of Johann and the man leaned on his arm—and gave him the finger casually as he put his head on his hand— as he looked at it.

“The thing is, we don’t know how far their powers had been enhanced”said Johann“And from what I’m reading, it could be much worse than what’s in these files”

“What do you suggest?”asked Harry, sitting down.

“To brace yourselves, for I believe something worse is coming”

A heavy silence settled around them.

“Can we talk about something more joyous?”deadpanned James“I feel like I’m at a funeral”

Beside him, Lily nodded.

“How you tell us what you intend to do for the two days before the party?”asked Lily

“How do you know about the party?”asked Steve while Johann raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“Uncle Tones”replied the twins at the same time.

“So…”began Lily

“For two days?”finished James.

Harry snorted softly.

“I don’t know”admitted the wizard, his mug half finished“Maybe we could spent some quality time, all of us, it’s been a while since we did this”

James and Lily nodded widely.

“We could go to Diagon Alley and look for a wand for us”suggested Lily

“Not yet”said her parents.

“Come on”whined Lily“We’re eleven”

“And you have yet to receive your Hogwarts Letters”said Harry“And it won’t be until this September”

Lily whined louder.

“Then could we go look for a familiar?”asked James

“Ask your father”replied his parents.

“That’s cheating!”

The adults laughed.

 

—

 

Their two days vacation were at the same time fast and slow. They had enjoyed themselves going to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to spent some times with the Weasleys but were still glad they wouldn’t have to go out again for a while—Well, they hoped.

“After Tony’s party, I’m sleeping for two days straight and the first one who disturb my slumber will be hanged by the ankle to the Tower”promised Harry as he dressed himself up—not too formal and not too casual to quote Tony.

In the room, Johann made a noise of agreement.

“I’m still holding for this sliver of hope that the twins will get my love for sleeping one day”said Johann.

Steve snorted as he dressed Zee— and tried to make sure Cas was still wearing his shoes, the toddler having a likeness to throw them now that he was more active.

“Then keep on hoping”replied Steve, making Johann groan.

Harry smiled at their antics.

“Do I have to wear a dress?”groaned Lily, pulling on the hem of her white dress“It’s too tight, moving in this will be hard”

“I have no problem, me”piped amusedly James, clad in a cobalt blue suit.

Lily gave her twin a predatory smile.

“How about we swap, I take the suit and you take the dress”

“Thanks but no thanks”said James“I fear this colour won’t suit me”

Lily whined and kept on pulling her dress.

“My flower, you’ll tore your dress”chided gently Harry, walking up to her and bending to her eye level“Here, it shouldn’t be too tight now”—Harry flickered his wrist and the dress appeared less tight.

Lily pouted.

“Why do I have to wear a dress? Why can’t I wear a suit like James?”

Harry shrugged.

“Well, suits on a little girl won’t look good”said Harry“But it may suit you when you get older”

Lily perked up.

“Really?”

The raven-haired wizard nodded.

“I’m sure”—Lily smiled and Harry ruffled her hair before turning to the super soldiers—“So, is everyone ready for the party?”

“Oh yes!”whooped James as the adults nodded.

“Then let’s go up”

They took the lift up and arrived to the Penthouse, finding it crowded.

“For once, Uncle Tones didn’t invite too much people”pointed Lily as they exited the lift.

Harry snorted.

“I’ve seen worse”said Harry“There are events in the Wizarding World organised by The Ministry that I cannot not go, you don’t remember since you were very young but it was more crowded than this”

“Really?”asked Johann, making Harry nod.

“Oh yeah, I can’t recall the number of witches or wizards that had asked me for a dance and sometimes something more”admitted Harry while behind him Steve and Johann growled possessively“I’m just glad nothing has been organised yet”

“If there is, promise me you’ll take us with you”growled jealously Steve“We’ll gladly ward off any witches or wizards”

Harry laughed before he took the twins from Steve’s arms.

“Go have some fun, you two”said Harry to his husbands before turning to the twins“And you two, try not to cause too much mischief”

The twins smiled innocently before they walked around the room.

“You know, I can take them”said Steve but Harry shook his head.

“Go see Sam and Bucky, I’m sure they want you to play snooker”—Harry motioned with his head something behind Steve.

“Damn right!”said the dark-skinned man, appearing behind the blond, passing an arm around the taller man’s shoulder.

“Same offer goes to you, pal”said Bucky, coming up to them.

Johann raised an eyebrow.

“You can’t win against me in the Training Room so you want to try yourself at billiards?”

Johann smirked as Bucky squinted angrily at him.

“Afraid, Zoidberg?”purred Bucky.

“You wish, Robocop”soughed Johann.

Harry watched them go to the snooker board with a smile before going to the bar and ordering a fruit cocktail. He watched as Steve, Sam, Johann and Bucky played snookers—hearing them laugh or groan from time to time— until he was joined by Maria—who asked if she could hold one of the twins and he accepted—then by Rhodey, Tony and Thor.

“…Well, you know, the suit can take the weight, right?”—They nodded—“So I take the tank, fly it right up to the General's palace, drop it at his feet, I'm like, ‘Boom! You looking for this?’”

Thor simply looks at him while Tony and him crack a smile. Rhodey noticed and lost his grin a bit.

“‘Boom! Are you looking...’ Why do I even talk to you guys?”groaned Rhodey“Everywhere else that story kills”

“That's the whole story?”asked Thor, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, it's a War Machine story”

“Well, it's very good then”said the blond God and Harry hid a snort in his drink“It's impressive“

“Quality save”deadpanned Rhodey“So, no Pepper? She's coming or Steve and R-Schmidt are the only ones with a date here?”

“No, Peps is not coming”said Tony with a smile although Harry could see the pain in his eyes, knowing he was having trouble with the redhead woman.

“Hey, What about Jane? Where are the ladies, gentlemen?”asked Maria, Zee babbled nonsense softly in her arms.

“Well, one is here”—Tony pointed at him and Harry couldn’t but try to kick the genius—“And Ms. Potts has a company to run”

“Yes, I'm not even sure what country Jane's in”answered Thor“Her work on the Convergence has made her the world's foremost astronomer”

“Nice!”said Harry, smiling—and Cas smiled too upon seeing his Daddy smile.

“And the company that Pepper runs is the largest tech conglomerate on earth”added Tony“It's pretty exciting”

“There's even talk of Jane getting a, um, uh, Nobel prize”

Harry tried not to laugh at the blatant and subtle way the two were comparing their girlfriends. Maria and Rhodey shared a look, thinking the same thing as him.

“Yeah, they, they must be busy”began Maria with a sweet smile“Because they'd hate missing you guys get together”—Maria faked a loud cough, startling Zee—“Testosterone!”

Harry bit his lips not to laugh.

‘ _Maria-1, Boys- -1’_ thought amusedly Harry, drinking his cocktail.

“Oh my goodness”said Rhodey, turning to Maria.

“Oh excuse me”

“Want a lozenge?”asked the dark-skinned man, making Maria nod“Let's go”

Maria handed him Zee back before leaving with Rhodey. Harry shook his head at the two Avengers.

“But Jane's better”Harry heard Thor say and almost choked on his spit as Tony turned his head to give a look at the god.

‘ _If they start comparing size, I’m hexing them’_ thought the wizard, sitting Zee and Cas on his laps and passing an arm around them so he could finish his drink.

“Hey, if you two want to fight it out, get away from me, I want my peace”deadpanned Harry, finishing his cocktail before calling the barman“Excuse me, sir, the same”—Harry hold out his glass—“And two sippy cups with pineapple jus, please”

The man nodded as Tony whined.

“Harry, you’re mean”

 

—

 

Johann smirked as Bucky walked away, somewhere, grumbling to himself. He had won the last three games of billiards and around half a grand, courtesy of the sulking brunet.

“Want a rematch?”called Johann and Bucky flipped him off, making him laugh.

He played another game with the vets before he refused another one to go get something to drink at the bar. He asked for a beer before roaming aimlessly around the room. He kept on walking—and nursing his beer— until he noticed Thor and Steve with some vets with them.

“Party going alright for you?”asked Johan, joining them.

One of the vets smiled at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Sure thing, sonny”said the man“Mister Stark knows how to do a party”

Johann shrugged gently, taking a sip of his beer.

“I wouldn’t know, it’s actually the first party organising by Stark I’m attending”

“Really, son?”

Johann nodded.

“Hopefully, we’ll get Tony to settle down before he does another party”—Johann sighed—“I yearn for my bed and a good night of sleep”

The vets laughed.

“Do you have kids?”

“I do, four of them, two are not even twelve while two are toddlers”replied Johann“They are very much tiring so you can understand my yearning”

The older men laughed again.

“I know the feeling, my little Kate was quite the early bird when she was a child”said a vet

“Same for my granddaughter Isabelle”said another.

“At least, the missus is helping you”

Steve and Johann bit their lips to refrain from laughing.

“She is, she is”replied Johann finishing his beer and looking around the room for his ‘missus’.

“I gotta have some of that!”Johann heard one of the vets say.

“Oh, no, no, no,”came Thor’s voice, making him turn back toward the group“See this…”—Thor shook the small flask in his hand before he poured some into a glass and handing it to Steve who sniffed it—“This was aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Grunhel's fleet, it's not meant for mortal men”

“Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie”said one of the vets“Stop trying to scare us”—The man made a motion toward the glass—“C'mon”

Steve and Thor shared a look before the blond God nodded.

“All right”

Thor made sure to take the tiniest glass and served a small amount to the man—who gulped it down. Johann shook his head before he looked around the room again and saw something move from the corner of his eyes. Wide eyed, he openly gaped at the glass Thor was holding out for him.

“Don’t I have to be worthy to drink this?”asked Johann with a wry smile, taking the glass nonetheless.

“Nope”said Thor with a big smile as he poured himself a drink from the flask“But it can be one of the only thing that can get you drunk”

Steve and Johann snorted at the same time.

“I don’t want to get drunk”said Johann before taking a slow sip of the mead before looking knowingly at Steve“Remember what happened last time?”

Thor and Steve snorted in remembrance.

“I remember”

“If it makes you feel better, you two were quite good at wearing the maid outfit”said Thor.

Johann groaned lowly while around them the vets laughed.

“Steve wore it better than me”

Steve chocked on his drink as he laughed.

“I didn’t! The dress kept riding up!”

Thor snorted this time.

“I remember, we kept seeing your behind”

Johann nearly collapsed on the table from the strength of his laughter while Steve blushed hard.

“And let me tell you, we all ogled it”admitted Johann between two laughs.

“Even you?”asked the blond, hoping to embarrass him.

Johann eyed at the blond, amusedly before speaking lowly to them only.

“Just because we’re not _sleeping_ with each other doesn’t mean I’m not staring”—Johann took a sip from his glass—“And you do have the best arse in the whole team, better than Black Widow’s in her catsuit”

Steve’s blush deepened and Thor boomed a laugh.

“Wow”breathed the old man before he started slumping on his seat.

It was thanks to Steve’s quick reflexes the old man didn’t end up on the floor.

“Excelsior!”slurred the man.

Johann had to give it to the man, uttering a word after drinking the mead, the super soldier knew that if he had been human, he would be on the floor, drunk and passed out.

“Maybe we should have someone help you, sir”said Steve, motioned for a couple of waiter“Could you take him? And give him something to sober up”

The waiters nodded and helped the vet up and half dragged him somewhere.

“Nice guy”said Steve and Johann nodded, finishing the strong mead.

 

—

 

Harry smiled as Johann and Steve sat down next to him, a drowsy baby in their arms. The party was finally over and the rest of them were just chilling on the couches, some of them dreading the clean-up moment that would follow.

“Harry”whined Tony, coming up to the wizard’s face with puppy eyes“Harry, sweet, gentle and kind Harry, could you magic the room clean, pretty please?”

Harry looked up and faked thinking about it.

“I don’t know”Harry grinned maliciously at the genius“What can I get in exchange?”

“Harrrrrryyyyyyyy”whined Tony.

Harry laughed and gave a flourish, the muggles watched, mesmerised, as the empty bottles floated away to a nearby trash, the furniture cleaned themselves and the mops moped the floor on their own.

“There you go, Stark”said Harry and Tony hugged him.

“Perks of having a wizard in the team”said Bucky as he sat down, closely followed by the twins.

“And soon more”said James, puffing his chest slightly“Just wait until we have received our acceptance letters and you’ll have three wizards and witch in the team”

Johann smiled proudly while Harry chuckled.

“Little reminder that you can’t practice in front of Muggles so you won’t be doing any magic inside the Tower”said Harry.

“What?!/Come on!”protested the twins.

“Don’t worry, kids, we won’t breath a thing”said Natasha.

“How about a little game?”suggested Thor, standing up from his spot on a couch and putting his hammer on the table.

Johann gaped at it then the God.

“Are you suggesting…”began slowly the German man“…That we try to lift the hammer?”

Thor nodded with a wide grin as he sat down, sipping his flute of champagne.

“Whosoever, be he worthy”quoted gravely Clint, twirling a drumming stick“Shall haveth the power! Whatever man, it’s a trick”

“No, it is much more than that”said Thor, smiling at a Captain America toy Steve was showing him before Ezekiel grabbed it and started gnawing the head.

“It’s still a trick”arged Clint

Thor laughed deeply then gestured to the Hammer.

“Please, be my guest”

The group stared at the Thunderer.

“What, really?”asked Clint and Thor nodded.

The archer stood up, a bit stiffly due to some phantom pain on his side, and made his way to the hammer.

“Oh! This is gonna be beautiful!”said Rhodey.

“Clint, we had a tough week”said Tony“We won’t hold it against you if you can’t get it up”

Some of them snickered at the archer and the kids frowned.

“What do you mean?”asked Lily.

“When you’re older”pipped her three fathers at the same time and Lily pouted.

Clint stared at the hammer before grasping the handle.

“You know I’ve seen this before, right?”

Harry watched as Clint mimicked Thor thoroughly and tried to lift the hammer like the God. The hammer didn’t move. Clint groaned and struggled to lift it with one hand but gave up.

“How you do it?”asked the archer with a laugh, turning to stare at Thor.

“Smell the silent judgement?”deadpanned Tony.

Clint pointed at him.

“Please, Stark, by all means”

Tony suddenly stood up, exuding confidence and pride, undoing a button from his suit.

“Oh! Now we’re talking”joked Harry, making Johann snicker softly beside him.

“Never one to shrink from an ominous challenge”said Tony, bumping purposely into Clint’s shoulder and the archer laughed before sitting back to his spot.

“Get after it!”replied Clint sitting down.

“Shit’s gonna hit the fan”drawled sarcastically Steve, his nose buried in Ezekiel’s soft hair.

“Language”replied Natasha and Steve groaned, glaring at her.

“Really?!”

“It’s physics”said Tony

“Physics?”repeated Bruce in a joking manner.

Tony nodded as he grasped the handle.

“So what, if I lift it, do I get to rule Asgard?”asked the genius.

“Yes, of course”

“I will be reinstituting Prima Nocta”said jokingly the genius then leered jokingly at Harry“And you will be the first on the list”

Johann and Steve glowered at the genius while Harry laughed good-heartedly.

“Lift that hammer, Stark, then we’ll see if you can lift something else later”

Johann choked on his spit as he laughed—silently so that he wouldn’t wake the sleeping Castiel in his arms— alongside Steve while the rest of the Avengers ‘Oooooooooooh’ed.

“Stark, you better get some ice for that”joked Bucky and Tony stuck his tongue at him.

Tony concentrated and attempted to lift the hammer. Attempted being the key word since Mjolnir didn’t move at all.

“Why Stark, can’t lift it at your age?”soughed Harry“My nonagenarians are better fit than you”

Tony glared at him then at the laughing super soldiers as he let go of Mjolnir.

“Giving up yet?”asked Johann between a fit, in his arms, Castiel—now awake— smiled at him and even reached for his mouth.

“Be right back”growled Tony, going to the elevator.

“Where is he going?”asked Sam.

“Dunno”replied Bucky

Johann smirked then handed Castiel to Harry before standing.

“Well, since he gave up, I’m taking my turn”

“Wait your turn, Old Spice”said Tony, exiting the elevator, the jacket of his suit off and the gauntlet of his Iron Man suit on his hand“I wasn’t finished”

Johann smirked then sat right back down.

“Wish I had brought popcorn with me”snarked Johann with an evil smirk.

Tony went back to Mjolnir and grasped it.

“Once I’m king, I’m throwing you in the dungeon”replied Stark and Johann laughed.

“ _Das ist etwas ich will sehen!_ ”replied the German man as he watched Tony struggle to lift the hammer, even after he activated the thrusters of the gauntlet.

“Giving up, Stark?”taunted Johann, a nasty smirk on his lips after a moment.

“Not yet!”replied Tony“Rhodey, with me, put on a gauntlet”

The group watched, amusedly, as Rhodey—who had been calmly sipping his drink— stood up while grumbling things under his breath, walked out then came back with his gauntlet from War Machine.

“Gimmie a hand with that”said Tony, and Rhodey grasped the top of the handle and Tony the bottom.

Johann snickered as, even with their two gauntlets and the thrusters, they couldn’t lift it.

“Are you even pulling?”asked Rhodey

“Are you on my team?”asked back Tony

“Just represent, pull”

“Alright, let’s go!”

In the end, they couldn’t lift it and they gave up, albeit Stark did it reluctantly.

“My turn then”said Johann, standing up.

“You? A notorious villain?”asked Nat.

“A _reconverted_ notorious villain, please, I’m sure I have some good and worthiness inside me to lift the hammer”corrected Johann, grasping the handle“If I rule Asgard, it will be with an iron fist in a velvet glove”

Johann started pulling. He was surprised to struggle to lift something. Ever since he had taken the serum, he had to be careful not to break anything—especially on the first days— but to have actually something that resisted him was surprising………And frustrating. Huffing, Johann took a better stance and pulled again but Mjolnir wouldn’t budge.

“ _Verdammte Ding, du wirst bewegen!!_ ”snarled Johann as the Avengers laughed.

Johann struggled for a moment, before he let go. Glaring at the hammer, Johann shook his hands, undid his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

“Ooooh! Now he’s pissed!”noted amusedly Steve.

“James, Lily, come and help me”said Johann, ignoring the blond.

“Cheating! He’s cheating!”said Tony

“You asked Rhodey to come and help you”

“I asked ONE person to help me”

Lily and James came up to their father and grasped the handle along with Johann.

“They are kids and Rhodey is an adult, technically, two children equals an adult”countered Johann

“Bullshit!”

“Language”piped Bucky—which earned him a glare from Steve.

Johann stared at his kids, both of them looked determined.

“Ready?”—Lily and James nodded—“On three, _ein, zwei…drei!”_

Harry bit his lips not to laugh while beside him Steve chuckled, his hand carding into Ezekiel’s dark brown hair, as he watched the three super soldiers try to move Mjolnir.

“ _Ziehen!”_

“ _Wir ziehen!_ ”

They struggled for a moment before they gave up.

“Guess you’re not worthy”taunted Tony

“Stark…”huffed Johann, a bit winded“……Don’t……Make me……Come over…… And sock you good!”

Tony laughed as the three super soldiers went back to their spot on the couch. When Johann sat down, Harry approached his face to his husband’s and kissed him on the mouth slowly.

“You’re worthy enough for me”whispered the wizard.

Johann smiled as he sensed his bruised ego heal slightly.

“Come on, try yourself”coaxed Natasha as she looked at Bruce.

The doctor smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

“Come, Brucie bear, pretty please”said Tony

Bruce bit his lips before he stood up—under the cheers of Tony, Harry and James— and walked to Mjolnir. Grasping it with two hands, Bruce put his two feet on the table as he took a stance and pulled. Most of them tried to hold back laughs as they watched the man struggle to lift Mjolnir, they stopped trying when Bruce started groaning and grunting, before he let go of the hammer, groaning loudly, arms wide apart as if he were about to transform into the Hulk.

“Nice!”said Lily

Steve smiled before he stood up, sat an Ezekiel that was still gnawing at the head of the Cap figurine and walked to the hammer.

“Come on, Cap”said Tony

“Show them, love!”encouraged Harry.

Steve smiled as he gripped the handle and pulled……

“It budged! It budged! I saw it!”squealed Lily as Thor’s face fell slightly.

“ _Scheiß die Wand an!_ ”shouted Johann, leaning over slightly“ _Kap vor!”_

Harry and James cheered for Steve as the blond struggled to lift the hammer before he gave up. Thor laughed, a bit relieved.

“Nothing”breathed the Norse God, laughing.

Steve let out something between a grunt and a laugh as he took Zeke back in his arms and sat down and Harry kissed him on the mouth.

“That’s my hubbie”boasted Harry then smiled“My hubbies”

“Aunt Tasha! Try it”said James, turning toward the redhead along with Bruce.

Natasha shook her head.

“Oh, no, no that’s not a question I need answered”

“Daddy, do it then!”said Lily.

Harry shook his head with a smile.

“I’m not sure I have some worthiness inside me left”

Steve and Johann gawked at him.

“You?!”

“Really?!”

“Bullcrap Oz, try it!”said Tony

Harry smiled at him before he huffed, kissed Castiel’s forehead before he handed him to Johann then stood up.

“Go, _Sußer_ ”encouraged Johann as Harry walked toward the magical hammer.

Extending a hand to grasp the handle, Harry recoiled slightly as he sensed some magic inside the object shocking him.

“It’s magical sentient?”asked Harry, amazed slightly.

“Like most of Asgardian weapons, yes”replied Thor.

Inhaling, Harry grasped the handle, feeling the object’s magic seep inside him slightly. Harry used his magic to poke Mjolnir’s slightly before Harry attempted to lift the hammer. Harry laughed slightly as Mjolnir’s magic playfully poked his and Harry faintly noticed the room around him had gone silent. And that was because he was holding Mjolnir two inches above the table.

“Go Harry!”cheered Tony and Johann.

Harry snickered slightly, especially when he saw Thor’s face before he dropped the hammer, cracking the table a little.

“Blimey!……It’s heavy”breathed Harry, shaking his hands.

“Cheating! He’s cheating! He has magic! He could have jinxed the hammer!”retorted Clint childishly.

Harry laughed.

“You’re just jealous you couldn’t even move the hammer and he could”replied Johann, standing up, putting a sleepy Cas on the couch and going up to his husband to embrace him.

“Pot, kettle, Schmidt”said Natasha.

Johann ignored her and kissed Harry on the mouth with a fervour that was solely used for the bedroom fun.

“Wow”breathed Harry after they broke the kiss“I should try lifting Mjolnir more”

“You should”growled Johann against his lips“I felt what was going on through our bond and damn…”Johann approached his lips to Harry’s ear before whispering something into it“It was sexy and exciting, I could feel what you were feeling and I’m sure Steve felt it too”

Harry blushed hard as he looked at the blond that was smiling in a leering way, a hint of a blush on his cheeks that worsened his. Before Harry could utter something, Johann had swallowed his lips and Harry purred.

“Hey! Keep it G rated!”drawled Sam“We have kids here!”

Johann growled low but he still released Harry’s lips but not the smaller man.

“What don’t you try yourself, Sam?”suggested Steve, standing up to join his partners.

Sam laughed.

“I don’t need a hammer to tell me if I’m worthy or not, I know my value”

“Amen to that”said Bucky, taking the last swing from his glass.

“All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be King, but it's rigged”said Tony

“You bet your ass”agreed Clint

Maria fake gasped.

“Steve, he said a bad language word”

Johann stared quizzically—and amusedly— at a groaning Steve. The blond American glared at the genius.

“Did you tell everyone about that?”

Tony’s smile was enough of an answer.

“The handle is imprinted! Like a security code”explained Tony“‘Whosoever’s carrying Thor’s fingerprints’ I think is the literal translation”

“If it is, Harry couldn’t have lifted it”said Bucky

“It’s not lifting, it was barely inches above the ground!”

“Maybe it’s his magic”suggested Clint“Thor said Asgardian weapons have magic in them, maybe Harry jinxed it and was able to lift the hammer”

“It was not lifting! And if Harry used his magic, it’s called cheating!”retorted Tony.

“Yes, those are…”—Thor stood up, his champagne flute in one hand and calmly approached Mjolnir—“…Very interesting theories, but the simple one…”—Thor grasped his hammer and lifted it as if it weighted nothing before flipping it then catching it—“…You’re not all worthy”

Some of them groaned or boo’ed the God.

“Fuck off”joked Bucky.

“Steve! We have to wash his mouth with soap!”Tony pointed at Bucky.

They laughed some more before a shrill noise sounded and they grabbed their ears in pain.

“Worthy…”they heard something growl.

Turning toward the threshold of the room, they saw one of Stark’s Iron Legion robot limp inside.

“No…”the robot groaned“How could you be worthy?”

Dread filled Harry as the robot advanced toward them and he faintly heard a coo from Castiel.

“You're all killers”went on the robot.

“Stark”growled Steve, his face sombre, beside him, Johann’s eyes flickered to the robot then to the children on the couch worriedly.

“JARVIS?”called Tony, taking out his StarkPhone.

No answers from the AI.

“I'm sorry, I was asleep”said the robot, looking around as if lost“Or…I was a dream?-”

“Reboot”ordered Tony to the Phone, tapping it“Legionnaire OS, we got a buggy suit”

“-There was this...terrible noise...and I was tangled in…in……strings…Had to kill the other guy, he was a good guy”

Harry’s blood froze and the lamps blinked a little. Johann slowly edged toward the couch where the kids were, grabbing Lily’s attention and mouthing ‘brothers’ at her. The girl’s eyes widened before she nodded imperceptibly and edged toward her younger brothers, James copying her.

“You killed someone?”Steve’s voice was controlled and tight.

“Wouldn't have been my first call”answered the robot“But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices”

“Who sent you?”came’s Thor tense voice.

The robot produced a rewind sound before a familiar voice echoed in the room.

“‘I see a suit of armor around the world’”

Harry barely held his gasp. That was Tony’s voice!

“What did you do, Stark?”growled Red Skull.

“Ultron”said Banner, throwing a look at Tony.

“In the flesh-”replied Ultron.

“Anthony…”hissed Harry, making the genius swallow uneasily.

“-Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis”—Ultron ‘looked’ down at his ‘body’—“But I'm ready”—Harry saw all the Avengers brace themselves and or arm their weapons—“I'm on mission”

“What mission?”asked Natasha

A cold fear sized him as Ultron ‘glared’ at them

“Peace in our time”replied Ultron before the wall behind him exploded and Iron Legion bots flew toward them.

Johann jumped quickly toward the children and protected them with his body while Steve kicked the table up to protect himself and it half did as the bot hit the table than Steve with it before flying away.

“James! Take your siblings and get out of here! NOW!”ordered Johann, rising quickly to his feet.

The boy nodded, lifted a crying Cas while Lily took Zeke and both made their way to the nearest exit. A bot went after them but didn’t have the chance to make more than a few inches before it was grabbed around the ankle then slammed harshly into the ground by an angry Red Skull.

“RUN NOW!”ordered the man, dodging as a bot fired at him.

There was an angry growl before the robot shrivelled up under a powerful force and Johann looked on his side to see a more than angry Harry Potter, green eyes glowing dangerously.

“I’ll cover you, go get the kids out of here”

Johann nodded, jumped over the railing then ran after the kids. He found them a few steps away from the emergency stairs, a bot advancing dangerously toward them. The German man snarled and threw himself bodily at the robot, his hands grabbing the robot’s head and wrenching it out. Electric wires sparked and some sticky liquid dripped in his hand, Johann flung the head at another in-coming robot before he kicked the headless corpse into it. Wrenching the door of the stairs open, Johann hold open long enough for the kids to run inside before closing it harshly and running back to the fight in the main room.

“Schmidt, I need a boost”growled Steve, pointing to one of the flying and firing robot.

Nodding sharply, Johann positioned himself under the bot, his hands in a cradle and Steve ran toward him, used Johann’s hand—and the man’s strength— as a boost to land on the bot’s back.

“Try ripping the head”informed Johann, glaring at an incoming bot.

Johann ran to the nearest wall, took three running steps on it before wallflipping backward and landing on the bot’s back and ripping off the head. Looking up towards Steve, he noticed the man was nowhere in sight and the flying robot was still here.

‘ _Not for long’_ thought the German super soldier as he watched Harry cast a familiar green looking spell.

The Killing Curse hit the robot and it malfunctioned for a moment before it fell down in a metal heap.

“Thor!”shouted Steve, wrenching away half of an Iron Legion from Dr. Cho and toward the blond god who hammered it down.

There was only one Iron Legion left. Clint came running down a corridor, holding something in his hand.

“Hey, Cap!”Clint threw Steve his shield and the blond jumped in the air, received the shield and used the momentum of his jump and the shield to throw it at the last robot, hitting it dead on.

It was over. Or maybe not…

“That was dramatic!”came Ultron’s voice, making the Avengers glare at him“I'm sorry, I know you mean well, you just didn't think it through”

Harry hissed dangerously, slowly taking steps toward Ultron, imitated by the other Avengers.

“You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change”went on Ultron“How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to…evolve?”—Ultron bent down to pick up the half corpse of a bot by the head—“With these? These puppets?”—Ultron shattered the bot’s head before throwing it toward them—“There's only one path to peace…The Avengers' extinction”

Harry snarled and sent a _Reducto_ while Thor threw Mjolnir at the bot. His spell hit Ultron first then Mjolnir gave the final blow.

“I had strings”eerily sang Ultron“But now I'm free…”

The lights that signalled the robot was working died and a heavy silence settled in the room.

“Stark, you have some explaining to do”snarled Johann, glaring at Stark and Bruce along with Steve.

 

—

 

Harry was pacing, humming a small lullaby under his breath as he tried to sooth both of his babies that were crying their eyes out in his arms while the team assessed the damages Ultron had caused.

“All our work is gone”came Bruce’s voice through the heavy silence of the lab.—not counting the crying babies—“Ultron cleared out, used the internet as an escape hatch”

“Ultron”repeated slowly Steve, tasting the name on his tongue

“He's been in everything”said Natasha“Files, surveillance, probably knows more about us than we know about each other”

“How could this happen?”growled low Johann, glaring at Tony’s back.

“He's in your files, he's in the internet”said Rhodey, holding his dislocated shoulder“What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?”

“Nuclear codes”said Maria and Bucky at the same time.

“Nuclear codes”agreed Rhodey“Look, we need to make some calls, assuming we still can”

“After what happened here, you can dream on it”deadpanned coldly Johann.

“Nukes? He said he wanted us dead”said Natasha

“He didn't say dead”corrected Steve“He said extinct”

“That’s even worse”said James, face sombre“That means anybody we might have known or met _will be_ killed, even us”

“Or Cas and Zee”added Lily seriously and Harry unconsciously tightened his grip on his calming twins.

“He also said he killed somebody”added Clint

“There wasn't anyone else in the building”said Maria

“Yes there was”said Tony sadly.

“Who?”asked Harry.

Holding his StarkPhone, Tony brought out an orange hologram. The hologram appeared broken, ripped apart rageously.

“Wait! Isn’t that-?!”piped Sam.

“JARVIS”said the twins, their tone off.

If possible, the atmosphere became even more gloomy and heavy. Bruce approached the hologram.

“This is insane”breathed Banner.

“Jarvis was the first line of defense”began slowly Steve, carefully“He would've shut Ultron down, it makes sense”

“No”corrected Bruce“Ultron could've assimilated Jarvis, this isn't strategy, this is……rage”

Johann growled low.

“Well done, Stark”snarked Johann and ignored the dark look Harry threw him“You have done what HYDRA couldn’t, create an uncontrollable psycho AI hell-bent on taking over the world and eradicating us all, why does HYDRA even bother to fight you lot when we can just watch as you all tear this team apart?!”

“Shut up Schmidt”said Bucky.

“He’s still right”drawled Clint.

Johann gestured his hand toward the archer in a ‘See!’ manner.

“Johann, stop”ordered Harry.

Putting his hands up in mock surrender, Johann leaned on the nearest table and watched the show before him. There was a ‘thud’ then Thor appeared, making a bee-line for the genius. Before anyone could understand what was happening, Thor had seized Tony by the throat and lifted him while still walking.

“Whoa whoa whoa”Bruce took a few steps away from the blond god.

“It's going around”drawled Clint

“C'mon, use your words, buddy”gasped Stark.

“I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark”growled Thor

Harry hissed silently before he conjured a large and comfortable pillow and set the sleeping twins on it before marching toward the Norse God and grabbed strongly the arm holding Tony by the throat. He may be cross with Tony but that wasn’t reason enough to kill him for Merlin’s sake!

“Drop him Thor”ordered Harry.

Thor barely spared him a glance.

“I said drop him”

“And I heard you the first time”said Thor“This doesn’t mean I’m entitled to obey you, Sorcerer”

“Think again, Thunderer”replied Harry, his magic making the lights blink and the room shake“Or you will understand why the wizards call me The Boy Who Lived Twice”

The mortals watched warily as two of the most powerful entities were glaring at each other. As Thor kept glaring at the Master of Death, Harry slowly took out his wand from his sleeve and held it at Thor’s throat in a warning.

“That’s enough you two”Steve’s voice called for calm and order and Thor immediately set Tony down—who went to hid behind Harry— and Harry took away his wand from the Thunderer’s throat yet the two were still glaring at each other“Thor! The Legionnaire?”

Tearing his gaze away from Harry, Thor stared at Steve.

“Trail went cold about 100 miles out but it's headed north, and it has the sceptre”

Bucky cursed in Russian.

“Great, just great”growled Sam.

“The genie's out of that bottle”said Natasha“Clear and present is Ultron”

“I don't understand”said Dr. Cho“You built this program, why is it trying to kill us?”

Back turned to them, Tony and Bruce eyed each other before Tony let out a giggle while Bruce shook his head.

“I don’t see the joke of the situation, Stark”deadpanned Johann, glaring at the genius.

“You think this is funny?”asked Thor, about to move toward the genius but Harry stood in his way silently.

“No, it's probably not, right?”replied Stark”Is this very terrible? Is it so…Is it so…It is, it's so terrible”

“Stark, you’re making it very hard not to kill you”growled Harry, his eyes glowing eerily as he turned to glare at the engineer.

“This could've been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand”growled Thor.

“No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it is funny”—Tony walked up to Thor and nearly got in his face—“It's a hoot that you don't get why we need this”

“Tony, maybe this might not be the time to-”warned warily Bruce in a tight voice

“Really?! That's it?”cut Tony, turning around and glaring in disbelief at his friend“You just roll over, show your belly, every time somebody snarls”

Bruce gave a meaningful look at Tony.

“Only when I've created a murder-bot”

“At least, one of you idiots has some senses”hissed Red Skull to himself.

“We didn't!”said Tony“We weren't even close, were we close to an interface?”

Bruce shrugged.

“Well, you did something right”began sarcastically and calmly Steve“And you did it right here, the Avengers were supposed to be different than S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Tony glared at the blond.

“Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?”asked Tony, making Harry and Johann roll their eyes.

“No, it's never come up”answered Rhodey in the same tone as Tony.

“Or even saved you”—Tony pointed at Harry—“From becoming a wizard pancake?”

Johann raised a quizzical eyebrow at his bonded.

“I could fly but thank you nonetheless”deadpanned Harry.

“Saved New York?”went on Tony.

“Never heard that”answered Rhodey.

“Recall that?!”—Tony eyed them all seriously—“A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space, we're standing 300 feet below it”

“Get to the point, Tones”said Harry, his stare hard.

“……We're the Avengers”said Tony“We can bust arms dealers all the live long day, but…That up there?”—Tony pointed up—“That's…That's the endgame…We may have one of the strongest entities on Earth”—Tony made a motion toward Harry—“But that’s the thing: Earth, this little blue planet…And how were you guys planning on beating beyond that?”

Tony had a point but he also missed one.

“Together”answered Steve, his tone almost paternal.

Behind the blond super soldier, Johann couldn’t help but give a slow nod.

“We'll lose”replied Tony, simply.

“Then we'll do that together, too”replied back Steve, just as simply, before he turned to look at all of them“Thor's right, Ultron's calling us out and I'd like to find him before he's ready for us”—His gaze settled on the drowsy or sleeping children in a corner of the lab.—“The world's a big place, let's start making it smaller”

Steve closed his mouth with a snap before he turned to the Founder of HYDRA.

“Schmidt…”began Steve slowly“…We may need your help for this”

Johann blinked then raised a curious eyebrow at the blond.

“If Steve’s asking for a notorious villain‘s help, you know you fucked up, Stark”drawled Bucky and Sam shushed him.

Johann glared at the man from the corner of his eyes before he stared at the blond. Through the bond, Johann could feel Steve was reluctant to ask for his help but he was also determined—something Johann could admire from the blond even if he’d rather be tortured than to admit it.

“……Alright”said after a moment the German man, leaning away from the table and made his way toward the sleeping children“Let me get the kids somewhere safe, preferably away from here then grab some stuffs and I’m in”

Steve gave him a look.

“Protecting the kids I understand, but sending them away, isn’t that a bit drastic?”asked Steve calmly.

“It’s just in case the shit hitting the fan gets back to us and to New York”replied strongly Johann, gently shaking Lily and James awake“I’d rather not have to worry about my kids being under rumbles should Ultron tries to attack the city”

“I see and more than agree with your point”said Harry in a voice that cut all in-coming arguments“Do what you think is good for our kids”

Johann nodded solemnly as he picked up both sleeping toddlers then walked out of the lab. Lily and James following him drowsily.

“I will”

 

—

 

Agent June started when the door of Schmidt’s office was flung open and her boss marched in angrily with his children with him.

“Sir?”called Agent June as she watched her boss put the babies down on his desk“Sir?”

Johann ignored her and went to his bookshelf where a secret safe was hidden and opened it. June watched as the last designed weapons—those who Johann had said he had sent them to Strucker—revealed themselves.

“Sir?”called again Agent June as she watched the man take out some guns, rifles and ammo.

Johann kept on ignoring her as he started selecting the best weapons in his safe. When he had chosen everything he needed, he went to his bedroom to grab a bag and put the weapons in it.

“SIR?!”

“ _WAS!?”_ snarled Johann, turning around and glaring at the raven-haired woman who jumped and gaped at him while stepping back a little.

“What…Are you doing?”asked the girl in a small voice.

“Personal mission”replied curtly Johann.

“Sir……Wh-What’s happening?…”began June“You seem more……”—June had her hands towards him in a motioning manner.

Johann glared at her and she shrank a little.

“I have told you, personal mission”

“I have heard but…”—June bit her lips—“…A simple ‘personal mission’ can’t have you like this”—June pointed at him—“Especially with…”—June looked at the sleeping children by his desk and a low growl from her boss had her look back at him.

Johann finished packing then slowly walked toward her. June simply stood still has her boss stood before her. Red Skull stayed silent and with each seconds passing, June felt like crawling under a rock and never coming back.

“If you want some explanation…”began slowly the sapphire-eyed man“…Some trouble have arisen which need my utter attention and person…Which is also why I need you and your girlfriend to lockdown this HYDRA base and have just a handful of our most trusted and powerful agents to protect what’s inside…Other than them, I want no soldiers in, is that clear?”—Johann saw June gulp then nod slowly— “Some shit is about to hit the fan and I’d rather not have my base destroyed and my very few men dead, understand?”

June bit her lips but nodded nonetheless and was about to exit to warn Agent Louisa when Johann grabbed her shoulder—the one that had been shot by Strucker.

“Si-”squeaked June as Johann’s hard sapphire eyes bored into her brown ones.

“I might also need your help on a personal matter”said lowly Johann and June gulped and could only nod“I want you to go there”—Johann fished from his pocket a road map with a place circled in red and handed it to her—“With a car waiting for you in the parking, you and Agent Louisa will take the children at this spot precisely, and do not, and I mean _absolutely_ do not, use any kind of GPS of electronic devices connected to Internet or you’ll be sorry, clear?”

“Cristal, sir”breathed June, gulping uneasily.

“You will care for the kids until I come and get you, _personally_ ”—Johann’s glare turned as hard and cold as diamonds—“No matter what, you _will_ stay inside unless there’s need for food and you will lay low, understand?”

“Me and Mary?”squeaked June and Johann nodded“Sir? Are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

“And what do you think I’m asking?”

June swallowed uneasily.

“Babysitting mission……”breathed June“More precisely yo-”—June cut herself when Johann hissed warningly—“…Like last time……When Strucker came…”

Johann nodded widely and slowly.

“Then you understand what would happen to you, should anything happen to those kids?”

June tried not to flinch when her boss’s grip tightened _just slightly_ on her scarred shoulder.

“You’ll disembowel me, use my bowels as Christmas decoration and paint your office in my blood while you’ll drink from my skull?”wheezed June.

Johann approached his face to June’s.

“Worse”

Red Skull let go of her and June took a few steps back. The man glared at her one last time before turning his softening gaze on the sleeping children. Silently, Red Skull left the room, his bag slung over his shoulder. June stared at the door then at the kids then the door then the kids, the direness of the situation finally settling in. Breathing heavily, Agent June did as her boss ordered, sounded the alarm, passed through Red Skull’s message, then—when Maria, the kids and her were inside the car—June initiated complete lockdown of the base with just a couple of agents still inside.

 

—

 

The next days were gloomy, tense and passing like a blur. Tony had locked himself in his lab.—under the surveillance of either an Avenger or two just in case— and was trying to back them up some data in the Tower, and without JARVIS to help, it was taking a bit more time than usual. Too much time for Johann that he had decided to create a small HYDRA interface and had downloaded it into the Tower’s system.

“Until you get your system back”had growled Johann at a fuming Tony“We use mine and only _I_ can use it to its full extend, hopefully this will make you think twice before you do another stupid thing”

Tony had shut up for a whole day after that, preferring to fix his mistakes—and maybe to stop using a computer with the notorious HYDRA logo as background.

“You know, I think you were a bit too harsh on Stark”commented Steve calmly as they took the elevator.

Not raising his nose from his Pad, Johann emitted a low growl.

“Stark is like a kid, you need the hard cold truth and maybe a good slap in the face to make him see what he did wrong”

“Still, it was a bit too harsh”

Johann growled again and the elevator dinged before the door opened and Maria walked in.

“Found anything concerning Ultron?”asked Steve.

“Yes, even if I hate seeing the logo on my screen”drawled Maria, glaring at Johann.

Johann wisely held his tongue about HYDRA having been S.H.I.E.L.D. for a while and shrugged.

“It the only thing I could create in less than a day”drawled back Johann“Sorry if the theme is not for your taste”

“You created this interface in less than a day?”asked Steve.

“I was bored and we needed something real quick”replied Johann, finally raising his head from his Pad“So, Ultron, what did you find?”

The elevator dinged again. The three stepped out into the Penthouse before going up to the stairs to the lab.—Tony having hacked his HYDRA interface in retaliation, a day ago.

“He's all over the globe…Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs”answered Hill, handing Steve the Pad she had in her hands“Reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place”

“Fatalities?”asked Steve, his tone a bit hard.

“Only when engaged”answered Maria.

“That’s a small victory”deadpanned Johann.

“Right, but there’s also reports of mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and ‘something too fast to see’”added Maria.

“Maximoffs”growled Steve“That makes sense he'd go to them, they have someone in common”

“Not anymore”piped Johann, before handing his Pad to the blond“Just received that”

Steve gave a small grimace at the black background and the red HYDRA logo screensaver before tapping the Pad and staring at the picture.

“Is that…”

“Strucker is definitely dead”said Johann“Even if I don’t believe it”

Steve stared at him with an eyebrow raised.

“Please, Red Skull, do enlighten us”drawled Maria.

Johann gave a nasty stare at the woman.

“I thought I told you, you never know who could be HYDRA nowadays”said the German man“And you don’t know if this man was the real Strucker”

“Don’t you know how many people are in our organisation?”drawled Maria

“Honestly? Nope”—Johann took his Pad back—“We should warn the others”

“Agreed”said Steve“Tell the Avengers to meet up in the lab., we’re having a meeting”

“Already sent the message”said Maria, finishing tapping on her pad before walking away.

Steve nodded his head before him and Schmidt walked toward Tony’s lab.

“…Negative”They heard and turned their head to see Clint talking on the phone“I answer to you…Yes, ma'am”

“Barton”called Steve“We might have something”

“Gotta go”—Clint hung up.

“Who was that?”asked the blond.

“Girlfriend”

Both Johann and Steve frowned at the same time before sharing a look.

“Let’s go”drawled Schmidt, making his way to the lab. Steve and Clint following him.

When they arrived in the lab., all heads turned to them.

“Something came up”said Johann approaching the group around the table and showing them the picture on his Pad.

“What's this?”asked Tony

“A message”answered Steve as Thor thrust the Pad against Tony’s chest for him to see“Ultron killed Strucker”

“And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us”drawled Tony after he saw the picture.

“But why would he do that?”asked Harry

“This is a smokescreen”said Natasha“Why send a message when you've just given a speech?”

“Maybe Strucker knew something about Ultron”theorised Johann, rubbing his chin“I listened to the records of the mission and Stark said he saw something bigger”

“Yes, robots, androids”answered Tony

Johann turned to Natasha.

“See if you can find something on Strucker”

“Already on it, Skull”drawled Natasha, switching from the HYDRA interface to the Avenger one, and muttering to herself“Yeah, I bet he”—The computer emitted a beep—“Yep, everything we had on Strucker has been erased”

Johann frown, want to stand by her shoulder and hijacked the computer to access his HYDRA data. He got the same result as Natasha.

“ _Scheiße_ ”growled Johann, rubbing his eyes then grabbing his head“All of HYDRA’s data has been erased, ALL OF FUCKING IT!”

If Johann saw Ultron, he’ll kill him, wreck his motherboard, drown his system and burn his interface.

“Not everything”said Tony, making the others look at him“We have data, paper ones”

Silently, everybody moved. By chance Tony had made a paper copy of every data—An intelligent thing from the engineer, FINALLY!— and had stocked them in boxes. Lots of boxes. After just a couple of minutes, the room was nearly filled to the brim with boxes.

“That’s even worse than my own office”drawled Johann, opening a box, taking a folder and skimmed through it only to groan when he noticed it wasn’t the good box.

“Known associates...”mumbled Steve as he brought another box“Well, Strucker had a lot of friends, not counting you”

Johann snorted, skimming through a file then another.

“And I’m glad of it”said Harry, putting back a file in its box then taking another“Those men are monsters, maybe close to Voldemort and his Death Eaters”

“That doesn’t sound good to me”said Bucky and Harry emitted a ‘yes’ noise.

“Wait, I know that guy”said Tony, making the rest of them regroup around him to see the file“From back in the day, he operates off the African coast, black market arms”

Harry and Steve both gave Tony a hard look.

“Black Market, Stark?”piped helpfully Johann, a predatory smile at his lips.

Tony glared at the Founder of HYDRA then stared at Steve.

“There are conventions, all right? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything”—Johann went to open his mouth for a scathing remark but a glare from Harry silenced him—“He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer, it was all very ‘Ahab’”

They stared at the man’s—Ulysses Klaue— picture before Thor pointed something on it.

“This”

“Uh, it's a tattoo, I don't think he had it...”

“Tattoes don’t do that”Harry cut Tony, tracing his lightening bolt scar with a finger“This, this is a scar, either carved or burned”

Bruce took out his phone, took a picture before transferring it to the computer and trying a corresponding pictogram search. After a few minutes the computer beeped.

“Oh, yeah, it's a word in an African dialect meaning ‘thief’”informed Bruce, turning to them“In a much less friendly way”

“What dialect?”asked Steve.

“Wakanada? W-Wa-”

“Wakanda”said Johann, making Tony and Steve glared strongly at him“……What?”

“You know exactly what”deadpanned Steve and Johann pursed his lips.

“Alright, but if it makes you feel better, Strucker never got them”

“Them?”—Steve turned to Tony—“I thought your father said he got the last of it?”

Harry cleared his throat.

“Please, could you enlighten us?”growled Bucky.

Harry eyed Tony, Steve then Johann.

“What’s is in Wakanda that Strucker didn’t get?”

Johann fished something at his waist—a small dagger— and threw it on the table. The sound the weapon made was eerily familiar.

“This is a special alloy of metal”explained Johann“Iridium, Adamentium and another strong metal, the strongest on Earth”—Johann motioned with his head Captain America’s shield behind Steve and Tony.

“Vibranium”said Steve, his gaze on Tony“Where is this guy now?”

“Well, if he hasn’t moved, I believe he’s still at the Salvage Yard by the African Coast”replied Johann, pocketing the knife as Natasha looked rather interested in it“Near Johannesburg if I remember correctly”—Everybody looked at him—“Stop looking at me like that, I’m a villain, I get the best shits from the black markets”

Harry rolled his eyes while Steve shook his head disappointedly at him.

“Everybody suit up”ordered Captain America.

 

—

 

The plan was simple. Natasha, Clint, Bucky and him would sneak in and serve as back up inside while Thor, Tony, Steve and Harry would face their enemy. He wasn’t fond of it but it was better than go inside, all guns blazing. Moving silently on the higher floors, Johann shared a look with Clint, Natasha and Bucky before they nodded and paired themselves up while taking different direction—Bucky and Clint taking the left side and Black Widow and him the right.

“You sure this is where Klaue keeps his cargo?”asked Natasha in a ushered voice.

“ _Ja_ , I was here once”replied back Johann in the same tone.

Silently, he assembled an assault rifle before taking a cartridge and checking inside.

“Time to test those babies”mumbled Johann, charging the riffle and taking the security off.

“They have something special?”

Johann nodded as he lay on his stomach.

“Those bullets are real technology jewels, created by me and they release a small EMP shockwave, shutting down everything electrical within a 2 meter radius, even in human flesh”

“Neat”said Natasha“I want those”

Johann smirked.

“Hope you’re ready to put the price”

Before Natasha could answer, a loud clang was heard and Klaue, one of his minions, Ultron and the twins appeared. Johann stared at Natasha and she nodded before she tapped her earpiece and lay beside Red Skull, waiting. They watched as Klaue opened a door, pressed a button and samples of Vibranium were in sight. Klaue handed one to Ultron.

“Upon this rock I will build my church”said the robot, making Johann and Natasha frown in confusion“Vibranium”

From where they lay, they could hear the familiar sound of the Vibranium moving as Ultron threw it at Pietro.

“You know, it came at great personal cost”—They saw the man rub the scar on his neck—“It's worth billions”

Ultron laughed then tilted his head.

“Now, so are you”replied the robot“It's all under your…dummy holdings…Finance is so weird, but I always say, ‘keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which’”

There was a sudden silence.

“Stark”uttered Klaue

“What?”

“Tony Stark used to say that…to me”explained Klaue“You're one of his?”

“ _Wirklich toll gemacht_ ”hissed silently Johann, aiming at Ultron“ _Mach dich bereit_ ”

“ _Да, я готовлюсь_ ”whispered back Natasha, moving silently elsewhere.

“What?! I'm not…!”—Ultron grabbed Klaue’s arm harshly, prompting the minion into taking his gun to help his boss only to be stopped by a red mist—“I'm not! You think I'm one of Stark's puppets? His hollow men? I mean look at me, do I look like Iron Man? Stark is nothing!”—There was a gruesome noise as Ultron cut off Klaue’s forearm—“I'm sorry. I'm s…Oooh! I'm sure that's gonna be okay, I'm sorry, it's just I don't understand, don't compare me with Stark!”

“Psycho AI with DID, Stark really outdid himself with this one”murmured Johann to himself, adjusting his aim at Ultron’s head.

“It's a thing with me, Stark is…he's a sickness!”snarled Ultron

“Ahh, Junior”came Tony’s voice, behind him stood Thor, Captain America and Harry“You're gonna break your old man's heart”

“If I have to”growled Ultron, Pietro and Wanda moving beside him.

“Nobody has to break anything”said Thor, his gaze on the twins.

“Clearly you've never made an omelette”snarked Ultron.

Harry snorted.

“Ooh! He has your snark, Tony”cooed the wizard while Tony turned his head toward the wizard.

“He beat me by one second”

Harry snickered.

“Yes, this is funny, Mr. Stark”said Pietro in a cold tone“It's what, comfortable? Like old times?”

“This was never my life”replied Tony

“You two can still walk away from this”informed Captain America

“Oh, we will”replied sarcastically Wanda with a nod.

“I know you've suffered”said Steve.

“Blah! Heh, heh, Captain America”mocked Ultron“God's righteous man, pretending you could live without a war”—The lights around them blinked and the boat winced as Harry’s magic reacted—“I can't physically throw up in my mouth, but…”

“If you believe in peace, then let us keep it”cut Thor

“I think you're confusing peace with quiet”replied the robot.

“Because there is a difference?”snarked Harry, his eyes glowing dangerously.

“Yuh-huh, what's the Vibranium for?”asked Tony

“I'm glad you asked that”—Ultron began flourishing his wrist—“Because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan!”

Everything went fast after that. Ultron must have had a powerful magnet in his wrist as he pulled Iron Man to him while Ultronbots attacked. Hissing a curse under his breath, Johann aimed at the bot in front of Harry and fired. The bot winced, the hole in its head spitting sparks as a small wave hit the bots around, sending them down.

“EMP bullets work”Johann smirked and aimed again, this time at Ultron.

Ultron saw him and snarled, blasted Tony against a wall before he flew up toward the hidden super soldier. Johann snarled and stood up, still aiming at the robot before Tony slammed right into Ultron, propelling them away, just as Johann shot and missed.

“Damn it Stark, I had him!”

“You’re welcome!”said Tony before Ultron punched him and threw him against a wall, then the two started fighting up in the air.

Something whizzed past his head and Johann turned around only to duck as the Ultronbot fired at him again. Cursing Stark and Ultron, Johann aimed and fired at the bot.

 

—

 

Harry snarled as he blasted away the bot that was holding Steve by the throat.

“Harry watch out!”

It was too late, Pietro had already moved and punched him by the time Steve had finished his sentence. Harry hissed as his back hit the wall. The silver arsehole gave him a grin before running off. While Harry had busied himself with Pietro, Steve decided to go for Wanda but was quickly blasted away by a red mist.

“Let’s swap”said Harry, helping Steve up“I take the girl”

Steve nodded slowly and Harry moved toward the Mutant. The brunette glared at him and sent a red mist his way. Harry cast a non-verbal _Protego_ before casting a _Stupefy_ that was deflected. Hissing softly to himself, Harry went to cast a _Locomotor Mortis_ but had to cast a _Protego_ to protect himself from bullets. Before Harry could utter a spell, the men that had fired at the wizard were shot. Looking up, Harry saw Johann covering him and smiled, forgetting that he was fighting. A red mist hit him in the face and he stumbled a little. Harry glared at the girl before smirking. She wanted to play dirty, he’ll show her what a Slytherin can do. Harry closed his eyes and thought of his family.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

Prongs shot out of his wand and charged at Wanda. Harry smirked when he saw her eyes widen and a red mist enveloped her protectively, making the deer disappear upon impact. Immediately, Harry cast a _Trip Jinx_ followed by an _Expulso_ , propelling heragainst a wall. When she glared at him, he smirked. He was hit again by Pietro as the bastard ran past him but didn’t stumble this time. Harry turned and went to curse the boy only to watch as he seemed to have tried to grab Mjolnir and was dragged by the hammer.

“You’re unworthy”said to himself the wizard before casting a powerful _Reducto_ toward the Ultronbot that went after Steve, blowing it to pieces.

There was a wince of metal and Harry looked at a large hole in the boat.

 _‘Ultron got out_ ’growled Harry internally, ignoring the bot that charged him.

The bot’s attention was solely on the wizard that he forgot about Captain America until the man had jumped on it and had it in a headlock with his shield. Thor gave the final blow: decapitation by hammer. The three of them raised their head towards the men barking orders and guns were pointed their ways but before they could fire, shots rang and all the men fell to the ground and their heads turned to Johann, two Deserts Eagles in each hand.

“Ultron got out, Stark’s on him”informed Johann as he joined them before he glared at Pietro’s form, still punch-drunk on the ground“Someone take care of him”

“I will”replied Steve before staring at the spot Wanda had been“Someone needs to take care of the girl”

“On it”said both Harry and Johann before the two took off.

 

—

 

Bucky fired at another soldier.

“Think one day they’ll give upon seeing they’re fighting the Avengers?”growled Bucky, changing the cartridge of his gun with a full one.

“If they did, it wouldn’t be this funny”replied Clint, notching then firing an exploding arrow, knocking every enemy down.

A heavy silence settled in then. There was no fighting, no moving, not even the boat wincing. Alarm bells sounded in his mind and Bucky kept his finger on the trigger.

“This is way too calm”drawled Clint“Let’s find the others”

They moved with Clint in front of him, an arrow notched and ready to be shot while he had an assault rifle aiming at a spot over the archer’s shoulder.

“I don’t like this”growled Bucky.

“You and me both, buddy”grunted Clint.

 

—

 

Just as he saw Pietro about to stand, Steve knocked him down with his shield.

“Stay down, kid”he ordered before running to where Klaue’s men were firing.

Once he had the men insight, he threw them his shield, knocking them down. Hearing footsteps above him, he looked up and saw Thor.

“Thor, status”called the blond.

“The girl tried to warp my mind, take special care”said Thor, his voice a bit off“I doubt a human could keep her at bay……Fortunately, I am mighty”

He had to strain his ears for the last part. Steve frowned but before he could ask, men charged him. He knocked them down as easily as you lift a book. He barely saw Pietro charge him, lift him and drag him before he was thrown against a wall. Punch-drunk, he went to stand b _ut a striking headache hit him and he groaned, keeping his eyes shut. When he opened them, he noticed he was wearing his WWII Captain suit and standing in front of double doors. Hearing music coming from inside, he pushed the door open and lights inside blinded him. When he could see, he looked around the ballroom, walking through it aimlessly._

‘What’s going on here?’ _wondered the blond_

_He stared at the people laughing, drinking, fighting, dancing and felt uneasy. He stopped walking in the middle of the room._

_“Are you ready for our dance?”came a familiar voice behind him._

_Turning around, Steve stared into Peggy and felt a sense of nostalgia wash over him. She was stunning in her blue dress, making her emerald-green eyes stand out._

_‘_ Since when Peggy had green eyes?’ _wondered the blond as he smiled and extended his hand for a dance._

_Peggy gladly accepted and as they started waltzing slowly, Steve couldn’t help but feel uneasy, as if something wasn’t right_

_“The war's over, Steve”said Peggy, a grin at her lips as she approached her face to his“We can go home!”—Her lips were now hovering his in an almost kiss and he couldn’t help but close his eyes and lean toward her—“…Imagine it!”_

_As he re-opened his eyes, the room had become silent, cold……and empty. He was the only one standing in a room that had once been so full of joy, life, amusement……And love._

Coming out of this dream—? Nightmare? Vision?— was like waking up except Steve felt empty and sad. Standing on shaky limbs, he walked aimlessly, waiting until his senses cleared. A thud and a sudden pain in his back made him groan before emotions that weren’t his assaulted him.

‘ _Harry! Harry is in danger!’_

His head was suddenly cleared and he walked hastily to the source of the noise.

 

—

 

Harry and Johann ran through the different corridors in search for the Mutant girl but didn’t find her.

“Maybe she left with Ultron”

“Unlikely”said Johann

“How do you know that?”

The German man shrugged.

“I just do”

They arrived at a fork.

“Maybe we should split up”suggested the green-eyed wizard.

“Don’t you watch any horror movie to know what happens next”deadpanned Johann

Harry rolled his eyes.

“We’re not in a horror movie Jo”drawled the wizard“And that girl will either be against a super soldier or a wizard, she won’t stand much of a chance if she were in a horror movie”

Johann pursed his lips and Harry took the left corridor.

“Take right”said Harry“And be careful”

“ _Jawohl_ ”said Johann“And don’t shut the bond”

Harry nodded slowly and ran down the corridor, his wand at the ready for anything. After a moment, Harry felt like something wasn’t right. The hair on his neck stood and he ducked a red-mist before swirling around, a spell at his lips and found Wanda standing right in front of him. Before he could cast his spell, the brunette produced some red mist energy and threw it at him. Harry snarled as he was blinded an _d went to throw his spell but the woman had disappeared, and the room he was in started to crumble in a glass breaking sound. Harry was now standing in an entirely black room with mirrors hanging around._

 _‘_ What is going on?!’ _thought Harry._

_Something hit one of the mirrors and startled him. Warily, Harry walked toward the mirror he thought made the noise and held back a gasp when he saw someone behind the glass. That someone was his Mother. She was young looking, her hair unkempt, her green eyes glassy and bore what seemed to be a scar on her chest, poking from under her dark shirt._

_“It’s all your fault”she breathed emptily._

_Harry stepped back, feeling as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him._

_“We’re dead because of you!”_

_Harry turned around and saw his father in one of the mirrors, his lifeless eyes glaring into him._

_“Why did you bring him back?”came Sirius’s voice from another mirror_

_“Why couldn’t you kill him sooner? I could have known my son”Remus’s._

_“You’re a monster! A freak!”Tonks’._

_“You have disappointed us, my boy”Dumbledore’s._

_“You’re not like your father, you are worse than him!”Snape’s._

_Harry sobbed and tried to block the voices by plucking his ears but the voices rang louder around him and inside his head._

_“WE DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!” came multiple voices from the mirrors“WE DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WAR!”_

_“YOU KILLED US ALL”_

_“YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED, POTTER”_

_“YOU’RE A DANGER FOR EVERYONE! EVEN YOUR FAMILY”_

_“YOU FILTHY SELFISH WHORE!”_

_“SLEEPING WITH TWO MEN, IF YOUR PARENTS COULD SEE YOU! THEY WOULD BE SO ASHAMED OF YOU!”_

_“Stop it!”yelled Harry, tears flooding his voice._

_The voices seemed to ring louder and Harry clutched his head and kneeled before rolling himself into a ball._

_“YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!”_

_“WE DIDN’T DESERVE THIS!”_

_“NOBODY LOVES YOU POTTER!”_

_“YOU’RE WORTHLESS!”_

_“YOU’RE A FREAK!”_

_“YOU REALLY ARE VOLDEMORT!”_

_Harry sobbed as the voices shouted, the mirrors cracking from the intensity of their voice._

_“ **WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST DIE?! SO MANY PEOPLE DIED DURING THE WAR! GOOD PEOPLE! GOOD PEOPLE THAT DESERVES YOUR MASTER OF DEATH TITLE MORE THAN YOU DO! WHY DON’T YOU RELINQUISH YOUR TITLE?! YOU DON’T EVEN DESERVE IT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE YOU MURDERED! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS RUIN THE LIVES OF THE PERSONS YOU LOVE!? WHY DO YOU STILL LIVE ON?! JUST DIE ALREADY!”**_

_Harry screamed and sobbed._

 

—

 

Johann heard Harry’s scream and immediately turned back, abandoning his chase of the Mutant girl as his instincts screamed to protect his bonded. He heard a whooshing sound before someone socked him in the mouth and he fell on his back on the metal floor.

“What’s up gramps? Can’t get up?”taunted the silver haired mutant.

Johann snarled, raised his upper body, aimed his guns at him and fired but his bullets missed the quick little shit. Johann glowered at the mutant’s last spot as he stood up. He re-loaded his two Desert Eagles and walked carefully toward the location of Harry’s scream. As he walked down the corridor, Johann felt as if he was observed and his paranoia kicked in. Johann turned around, gun aimed but saw no one. He stayed put for a moment, just listening before he went on his way. After a moment, Johann heard some light steps behind him and his back tensed before he turned around, his guns aimed at……no one.

‘ _I could have thought someone was there’_

Johann didn’t know why he was jumpy, had he honeyed his paranoia without his knowing? Lowering slightly the guns, Johann turned around…And came face-to-face with the red woman who smiled wickedly at him, her hands cloaked in a red mist. Before he could shoot or even scream—Why would he scream?!— he blacked out, his body hitting the metal ground loudly and hardly.

_Johann woke up with a groan, and immediately raised his upper body, guns still in his hands but the woman had disappeared. Growling, he stood up and ran ahead of him, trying to catch the little bitch up but it seemed that like the longer he ran, the longer the corridor stretched._

_‘_ That’s not normal’ _thought Johann, halting in his steps._

_Imaginary alarm bells sounded in his head. He checked the cartridge of his guns—full— before he walked leisurely. The corridor seemed endless and that set him on edge._

_‘_ Where the hell am I?!’

_He heard something break behind him and he turned around and fired. The bullet hit a metal wall and ricocheted before it hit a pipe that blew some stream._

_‘_ Calm down, Johann, calm down’ _reassured his mind through the blood pumping in his ears._

_Why was he on edge? Quelling his breathing, Johann went back to his walking and found that his steps echoed. Stopping altogether—and hearing the echo do the same but with a slight lateness— Johann turned around and found a shadowy silhouette behind him. The silhouette didn’t look like any of the Avengers or that fast fucker or that little bitch. Snarling, Johann aimed as the silhouette moved into the light and Johann’s breath caught in his throat. It was himself he was seeing, Glamourless, clad in his SS/HYDRA suit and supporting a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes._

_“What are you waiting for?”taunted his doppelganger“Shoot”_

_“What is going on here?”snarled Johann._

_Schmidt smirked murderously as he advanced toward him and Johann couldn’t help the fear that seeped inside him. Remembering he was armed, Johann fired and the bullet hit the doppelganger right in the head. Schmidt staggered in his step, head thrown back before he laughed darkly and stared right back at him, a lunatic glint mixed with amusement and murder and kept on advancing toward him. Fear seizing him, Johann emptied his cartridge onto the man, each bullet hitting the doppelganger but never stopping nor killing him. Before he could re-load or run, Schmidt shot out and seized him around the throat before he lifted him effortlessly off the ground. Johann tried to struggle but he felt like he couldn’t, as if the serum had stopped flowing his veins._

_“Who are you?”_

_Schmidt laughed darkly, tauntingly._

_“Who do you think am I?”—Schmidt gave him a demented grin—“I am you, I am the real Red Skull, the one who craves destruction, power, and ruling over the world…”—Schmidt’s face turned furious and his grip on his throat tightened—“…And who died in your little trip to space! A pitiful creature indeed you were! And still are! That wretched bitch ruined you and your plans with his bastards and love”—Schmidt looked at him as if he were a stain on his boot—“Now look at you…weak, foolish, domestic…Is that really what you wanted? Is that really the main purpose of the Red Skull? Of HYDRA?”—Schmidt laughed—“Johann, Johann, Johann…What a fool you are……You should have died when our father tried to drown us, it would have been a good riddance”—Schmidt sighed forlornly and shook his head from side to side—“But maybe, not all hope is lost”—Schmidt pouted and almost lovingly passed a hand on Johann’s face—“Maybe we can get the real you back and I know exactly how!”_

_Before Johann knew it, he was flung over the railing and landed right on his back, on something soft and wet. Groaning softly, Johann glared up at the smiling sadistically Schmidt and turned his head on one side and stared into the lifeless eyes of Lily’s head. Holding back a scream, Johann moved back and his hand bumped into Steve’s torso and Zeke’s little hand. Feeling sick, Johann placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself from being sick and smelled metal. Looking at his hands, the fingerless gloves were drenched with warm, sticky and clear blood. A nameless fear seized his whole body and he tried to hold back screams._

_“Why are you so afraid?”asked Schmidt and Johann looked up, seeing something in the man’s hand“After all, you did all of this…In the name of HYDRA”_

_As if seeing the scene from the doppelganger’s point of view, Johann saw the disposition of the corpses and blood resembled the HYDRA logo. His doppelganger laughed at him before he dropped what he was holding and it landed right in front of him. Harry’s head. Johann felt sicker, even more when those lifeless eyes moved and bored into his._

_“Jo…”Johann visibly started when the head talked“Jo…Why did you do this?…Why? Why?”_

_“I didn’t”gasped the German man, picking up the head slowly and cradling it“I didn’t, I swear!”_

_“But you did, you killed us all”came Steve’s voice from the blond’s cut head behind him._

_Looking around and seeing all the dismembered and headless corpses of not only his family but also the Avengers, all of them bleeding around him, Johann tried to hold back screams and tears. He couldn’t. He screamed, tears flooding his cheeks while, above him, Red Skull laughed and chanted ‘Hail HYDRA’s and the echo in the room felt like there wasn’t only him chanting._

_“Come on Johann! Join me! It’s fun! HAIL HYDRA!”chanted Red Skull, his voice covering his sobs“HAIL HYDRA! HAIL HYDRA! HAIL HYDRA!”_

_He kept on sobbing and whimpering and Red Skull went on laughing and chanting, almost dancing._

_“Come on Johann! HAIL HYDRA! HAIL HYDRA! Join me Johann! Join me Johann!”_

“JOHANN!”

A sharp slap brought him back. Still reeling from his hallucination, Johann stared wetly into Steve’s worried gaze and he couldn’t help the sob that escaped him when he saw the blond man, alive. He broke down.

 

—

 

Steve stared flabbergasted as the man before him, the man he had fought with, both as an enemy and as a…dare he say friend? broke down, his whole body shaking. Through their three-way bond, Steve could feel Johann’s despair, fear and sadness inside him as if it were his.

“Schmidt”—Steve grabbed the brunet’s shoulders and shook him a little—“Johann, get a grip!”—Steve could see Johann was trying but he couldn’t get a grip and was almost to the point of hyperventilating himself unconscious—“Schmidt! Stay with me! Don’t you dare pass out!”—Steve tried to send some sort of reassurance through their bond but it was squashed by the despair inside the man—“Sch-Johann, please, calm down, I need you to stay with me, please…Harry”—Johann visibly perked up and Steve sensed the man was trying to calm down—“Harry, I can’t find him and I can feel his despair through our bond and I can’t find him, please, stay with me”

Steve saw Johann bit his lips as he tried to get control over his erratic breathing. Something seemed to poke him at his head and Steve understood it was Johann using their bond. Johann let out a gasp then a tiny wail when he sensed Harry’s emotions and Steve knew what he must be feeling. Fear, anger, pain, despair and the worst of all, the craving for death. Gaze hardening, Johann breathed calmly, steadily before he glared at the blond.

“Let’s go”breathed Johann.

Steve nodded and helped the other man up. Johann let out a breath when he stood up, his whole body feeling sore as if he had thrown himself down this floor.

‘ _Thinking about it, maybe you did’_ said his mind and Johann could only agree with it.

He had been looking for the red bitch on the railing two decks above where they stood and Johann looked up and immediately looked away when he remembered Red Skull’s maniac, lunatic and amused grin while the man looked down at him…And the corpses…The blood. Blinking away the flashes of hallucination, Johann bent down, his hands resting on his knees as sickness seized his stomach and he started breathing through his nose to calm himself. Beside him, Steve stared worriedly at his back, his hand hovering above it. Feeling less sick, Johann straightened and looked at everything but Steve.

“Come on”whispered Steve, going into one of the corridors“We need to find Harry”

Johann nodded and followed the blond, his steps wary. Both used their bond to locate Harry and they found him, half-conscious in Bucky’s arms, Clint not far behind them, Natasha in his arms, in the same state as Harry.

 

—

 

There was noise ahead of them.

“Cover me”said Clint“I’ll go check”

Bucky nodded and aimed above Clint’s shoulder as the man went ahead to check the noise. There was a whoosh before the long-haired brunet felt someone beside him. Turning around, Bucky’s eyes widened when he came literally face-to-face with the red woman. She smiled wickedly before a red mist enveloped her hand and she raised it toward him. Bucky heard something faint behind him before his eyes widened and he crouched down as one of Clint’s special arrow hit the chick right in the head, the head of the arrow sticking to her forehead and shocking her.

“We’ve both done the whole mind control thing, not a fan”growled Clint as he walked toward Bucky.

Bucky frowned as he went to grab the girl but another whooshing sound was heard and Bucky barely got glimpse of silver hair before he was kicked away from the red-girl.

“Shit!”cursed Clint before he notched an arrow.

Before he could fire, Pietro had kicked him through glass and Clint fell a floor below them. Bucky groaned as he stood up and stared at a silver blur before gave chase to the Mutants.

“Bucks! Wait!”called Clint but Bucky ignored him, focused on trying to catch up with the targets.

He ran down hallways, took sharp turns, passed by an open door with a view on a crying Harry then-……WAIT! Bucky backtracked and gazed at the sobbing wizard in a corner. Cautiously, Bucky walked toward the sobbing raven before gently laying a hand on his shoulder. Bucky jumped and stepped back when Harry gave a soft and scared whimper, backtracked more against a wall and gazed at him fearfully. Bucky slowly crouched down, his hands visible before he took tiny steps toward Harry.

“Harry, it’s me, it’s Bucky”whispered Bucky as he approached.

Harry whimpered and pushed himself more against the wall. Hurried footsteps were heard behind him and Bucky turned his head slightly to see Clint holding Natasha, who appeared to be quite shaken.

“Bucks, we need to retreat”said Clint when he saw the state Harry was in.

Bucky could only nod and when he approached again, Harry whimpered and started sobbing.

“Please…Please…I’m sorry…I’m sorry”breathed the wizard.

Clint gazed sadly at the raven before he eyed Bucky.

“We have to take him, find the others and leave”said Clint, a note of urgency in his tone.

Bucky nodded again and, reluctantly, approached the whimpering wizard. Harry whimpered again, sobbed silently as Bucky took him in his arms and lifted him.

“Who's ever standing, we gotta move!”said Clint urgently in the comm“Guys?”—Silence—“Clint to the Avengers, do you copy?”— Nobody answered as they started walking toward an exit —“Clint to anyone, do you copy?”—Silence again—“Can anybody copy?”—More silence.

“Let’s get them out first then grab the others”said Bucky“If they are in the same states, it would be better to retract and lick our wounds far away from here”

Clint grunted a ‘yes’ and the two tried to find where they got in the first place. On their way, they were joined by Steve and Johann, both looking like hell.

“What’s wrong with him?”asked Steve upon seeing Harry.

“Little witch bitch got him”said Bucky“I found him like this”

Bucky saw Johann’s face go deathly pale while Steve’s warded and hardened.

“We need to get out”said Clint, re-adjusting his grip on Natasha before he went back to walking, the super soldiers trailing after him.

They found an exit to the boat and quickly made their way to the Avenjet, finding the back large door open.

“Fuck”hissed Buck, quickening his steps“Bruce? Bruce?!”

No answer.

Clint barred his teeth, carried Natasha in his arms and made his way quickly into the jet, finding it empty. Clint put Natasha down in a corner of the jet before going to the pilot seat and sitting.

“Where’s Bruce?”asked Steve“We haven’t said it was a code green”

Something landed near the jet and the group watched as a groggy Thor made his way inside.

“Thor, are you all right?”asked Bucky after he put Harry down somewhere.

The blond god shook his head.

“I feel……off”Thor looked and sounded lost for a moment.

“Like all of us”growled Clint from the pilot’s seat“Something, well more like someone got to Bruce and enraged him”

Steve and Johann’s eyes widened while Bucky joined Clint and sat in the seat next to the archer.

“Is he-?”

“In Johannesburg, wrecking havoc”replied Clint, pushing some buttons, making the back doors close and starting the engine“Tony is trying to contain him”

“Go to them”ordered Steve.

“Roger”

 

—

 

They arrived when the Hulk was transforming back into his little human form and Tony’s armour was exiting the Hulkbuster. Slowly and quickly, they brought a groggy Bruce inside the Avenjet and left the city. Tony tried not to feel too uneasy by the tense silence in the plane.

“The news is loving you guys”Maria said from the monitor“Nobody else is, there's been no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air”

Tony emitted a heavy sigh.

“Stark Relief Foundation?”

“Already on the scene, how's the team?”

Tony swallowed uneasily and looked sadly around. Only Clint and Bucky seemed to be all right whereas Thor was standing and glaring at a wall, looking like he was lost, Natasha was slumped in her seat, silent, shaking and dumbfounded, Bruce was hiding from all of them, scared, sweaty and shaken, Steve was slumped on his seat, lost, silent, worn out and at his feet were Harry and Johann, each clutching the other desperately, inhaling sharply or sobbing soundlessly from time to time.

“Everyone's……We took a hit”answered the genius“We'll shake it off”

“Well for now I'd stay in stealth mode”ordered calmly Hill“And stay away from here”

“So, run and hide?”asked Tony

On the screen, Maria looked uneasy.

“Until we can find Ultron, I don't have a lot else to offer”

“Neither do we”admitted sadly Tony before ending the call.

Standing up slowly, Tony walked up to Clint on the pilot seat.

“Hey, you wanna switch out?”asked the engineer, anything to be useful for once.

“No, I'm good”replied Clint gently“If you wanna get some kip, now's a good time, 'cause there's still a few hours out”

“A few hours from...where?”

“A safe house”replied the archer“I’m taking you all somewhere safe”

 

The night had just set when they landed. Harry stood up with a groan, half supporting a still a bit shaken Johann and followed like a lost puppy Clint—who was also supporting Natasha.

“Come”said Clint as he led them all to the house.

“What is this place?”asked Thor once they were nearing the patio doorstep.

“A safe house”answered Tony

“Let's hope”replied Clint as he pushed the door open and walked inside“Honey? I'm home”

“Honey?”breathed Harry, looking at Steve, who shrugged.

A brunette appeared from the kitchen, a hand over her pregnant stomach. She seemed surprised to see them.

“Hi”greeted Clint“Company…Sorry didn't call ahead”

The brunette smiled and hugged Clint before kissing him on the mouth—which had Harry gape at the archer.

“This is an agent of some kind”commented Tony beside him.

On the wizard, Johann emitted a low noise.

“Gentlemen, this is Laura, my wife”

Laura smiled at them and Harry didn’t have it in him to smile back.

“I know all your names”said Laura, eyeing them all.

Footsteps were suddenly heard above them.

“Oooh, incoming”Clint sounded excited.

Children—?!—ran toward Clint before hugging him.

“Dad!”cried the girl, happily hugging her father who lifted her and kissed her head.

“Hi, sweetheart!”—Clint kissed his son’s head—“Hey buddy! How you guys doing?”

Harry and Johann eyed the archer before eyeing Steve for explanation and the blond was at loss of words.

“These are...smaller agents”supplied Tony as Clint and the kids hugged each other.

“Did you bring Auntie Nat?”asked the little girl as she was set down.

Natasha smiled—even if it was a bit tiredly— before she walked slowly to the girl.

“Why don't you hug her and find out?”

The little girl threw herself in Nat’s arms, reminding the parents of this room of their children and how much they missed them.

“Sorry for barging in on you”said Steve, knowing they were intruding in on something private.

“Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed”said Tony with his usual snark.

Harry elbowed him.

“Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined”explained Clint“He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files, I'd like to keep it that way, much like you three, you must understand why”—Clint’s gaze lingered on Steve, Harry and Johann and they could only nod in understanding—“I figure it's a good place to lay low”

Harry heard something being broken behind him and looked behind to see Thor had stepped on a Lego house—and broken it— and was sweeping it under the small table. Steve and Johann couldn’t help the long and paternal stare they gave the blond God. Something moved from the corner of their eyes and Harry, Steve, Thor and Johann looked down at Clint’s daughter, staring up at them with big, curious, brown eyes. Laura must have been making tea or something because the kettle whistled loudly, almost making him jump out of his skin. Harry was bumped into as Thor made his way out.

“ _What’s gotten to him?_ ”Harry asked Steve through their bond but found it closed.

Before Harry could ask out-loud, Steve had followed the God outside. He tried to follow but moving when you’re a pipsqueak supporting a man twice heavier and taller than yourself is a bit hard.

“Thor”suddenly heard Harry as if Steve had been standing next to me and Harry sent a thankful wave to Johann that was sharing a bit of his powers through their bond.

“I saw something in that dream”replied Thor“I need answers, I won't find them here”

There was a whooshing sound followed by the tell-tale sound of Thor flying. Harry heard Steve move before stopping in the threshold for a few minutes before slowly walking in.

‘ _What’s going on with him?’_ asked Harry as Steve walked back in the living room and Johann sent a mental picture of himself shrugging.

“…It’s getting rather late”said Laura“I wish to say that dinner’s made but I may have…”—Laura blushed and Harry smiled in remembrance, knowing just how much of a greedy guts he had been in his pregnancies.

“It’s okay, don’t worry”soothed Harry with a forced smile he hoped was good“We’re not that hungry anyway, we just need some sleep and maybe somewhere to lick our wounds in peace”

Laura smiled a little at him.

“Sure but we only have three guestrooms, some of you will have to double up, maybe even triple up”

“That’s not a problem for me, Steve and Jo”answered Harry and Laura nodded.

“Very well, let me show you all to your room”

“Thank you, Ma’am”said Steve, his voice a bit off.

 

—

 

It was with a soundless groan Harry faceplanted into the bed. The bed dipped slightly before he felt a weight on his back as one of his husbands slumped on him.

“Bed might be a little small”commented Steve, voice a bit far away from him.

Harry grunted before he raised his arm and flicked his wrist, casting a mild _Engorgio_ on the bed.

“That should do”pointed out Steve before he made his way to the joined bathroom.

“Do you want some help with your suit?”asked Harry, raising his head just slightly from the mattress.

Steve said nothing and just walked into the bathroom. Harry stared at the bathroom’s way.

‘ _What’s wrong with him? He seems distant’_ wondered Harry to himself before he shook his head‘ _Maybe he’s still shaken from what happened’_

On him, Johann exhaled sleepily and Harry flicked his wrist again and both of them found themselves naked. Harry moved slightly from under Johann and the man above him raised himself on his hands, allowing Harry to shift on his back before he went back to settle himself on top of his husband, nuzzling the chest under him. Harry raised a hand and ran it through Johann’s hair gently. At first, Johann tensed then uncoiled his body slowly and tried to bury his face more into Harry’s chest.

‘ _Johann also seems more……clingy and definitely more shaken’_ noticed Harry’s brain‘ _Maybe tomorrow it would be best to talk about what vision we all saw’_

From the bathroom, Harry heard the sound of running water and Harry almost sighed, right now, a shower sounded divine but he was too tired to move. Flickering his wrist one last time, Harry threw on Johann and himself a cleansing spell.

“What was that?”breathed the man into his chest, uttering his first words since they arrived here.

“Just to feel a little more…clean”replied Harry gently“It’s not a warm shower but it’s still a bit better than stew in our own filthiness”

Johann made a noise of agreement, his hand starting to draw imaginary patterns on his sides. Harry ran a hand through Johann’s hair before gently placing two fingers under the older man’s chin and kissing those sweet lips once he saw them. Normally, Johann would be quite happy to answer his kisses but now, the man was wary, scared and tense. Feeling uneasy, Johann broke the kiss slowly before lying on his back, his eyes riveted on the wooden ceiling. Harry stared at him, surprised by and understanding of Johann’s action and mood before he sat astride on the man. Slowly running his fingers on Johann’s chest, Harry bent down to kiss Johann’s lips softly then his cheeks, his nose, his forehead and his closed eyes. The wizard sensed the body beneath him untighten, before hands brushed against his back. Cupping Johann’s cheek, Harry kissed Johann—and almost shouted in joy when the man answered the kiss with his usual fervour. Breaking the kiss, Harry latched on the sapphire-eyed man’s neck and nipped the offered skin, relishing in the pleased gasp and moans Johann was giving. Harry smirked when he felt his husband’s erection poke him and even straightened back—which made Johann whine— and moved back to rub against it. Whines turning to gasps, Johann thrust his hips against Harry’s cleft. Muttering a spell then taking the erection in his hand, Harry moved it gently up and down before lining Johann’s cock to his stretched and lubed pucker and sank down on it, slowly. Beneath him, Johann gasped and moaned, his hips moving up and down slowly and his hands going to grasp Harry’s hips and help him move above him. Harry threw his head and upper body back as he lifted himself up and down. Someone moved and Harry looked toward the bathroom to see Steve, naked, and staring at them, a lustful glint in his eyes that made him smirk.

“Wanna join us, soldier?”purred Harry, lifting his hips to give Steve a nice view of Johann’s cock in his arse before he sank down on it in an erotic squelch.

Steve moaned and joined them on the bed, cupped Harry’s face to kiss him as the wizard rolled his hips, making Johann moan louder. Waving his wrist, Harry cast a privacy ward on their room before his hands moved down on Steve’s strong chest then his straining erection, slowly pumping it.

“How about you both take me”breathed Harry“At the same time, I mean”

Beneath the wizard, Johann moaned, his grip on his hips tightening.

“Harry…”breathed Steve“We don’t wan-”

Harry cut the blond with a nice squeeze on the blond’s cock.

“I wasn’t asking, soldier”growled Harry, sending a bit of magic inside the blond.

Steve felt the magic slither inside him and moaned when it teased his sweet spots. Steve nodded and Harry released him so that the blond could place himself behind him. Harry bent down above Johann—presenting his arse full of cock toward the blond— and kissed him as Steve prepared him. Harry felt a finger breach him around Johann’s cock and Harry muttered some spells to numb and lube the area some more. Harry peppered Johann’s face with kisses as a second finger breached him then started moving in then out.

“Steve…”breathed Harry“I won’t break…please…”

Lips kissed their way up to his neck before sucking on it as a second cock breached him and moved slowly in. Letting out a breath mingled with pain and pleasure, Harry clenched his sphincter and rocked a little his hips to incite Steve to move. The blond super soldier moved out slowly then in with Johann rolling and rocking his hips slightly once he had the needed space. First huffing in pleasure, Harry started moaning out lout as Steve and Johann quickened their paces, ramming inside him and hitting his prostate dead on. Like always, Harry was the first to cum, releasing himself on Johann’s lower belly and at this point, Harry could usually do nothing but receive, sometimes coming to his senses a little to sent a wave of magic inside his husbands to quicken their orgasms. Heaving a pleased breath as he still felt Johann and Steve move inside him, Harry sent a wave of magic and smirked when he heard them gasp and quicken their already fast thrusts before they emptied themselves inside—even if it was more outside than inside—him. Steve slumped slightly on top of him before he rolled onto one side—slipping out of him in a wet squelch— and Harry followed the blond, rolling on his side tiredly, and finding himself sandwiched between the two. Lazily and sleepily, Harry muttered a cleansing spell on them and the sheets underneath. Still breathing heavily, Johann moved from his back to his side and nuzzled Harry’s chest, his arms going to the wizard’s waist while Steve nuzzled Harry’s neck, an arm draped around the wizard with the hand resting on Johann’s back. Slowly, sleep took them, glad to finally, really rest this fucking day. All three hoped for a dreamless—and nightmareless— night. And yet, between the two naked bodies, Harry twitched, subject to a nightmare.

 

—

 

_Harry looked around and found himself back into this black room with the mirrors. Except this time, there was only one mirror. The Mirror of Erised. Slowly approaching it, Harry stared into the magical mirror. In the glass, Harry saw a smiling Johann—his face normal— and another equally smiling Steve, each holding Ezekiel and Castiel in their arms, and flanking another grinning Harry, Lily and James were even there, hugging each a side of his stomach. Harry stared fondly at the mirror then frowned when he saw a faceless silhouette in the back. The silhouette was blurry and seemed to be walking toward him. Harry gasped and stepped back as the glass of the mirror seemed to stretch and take on the mysterious silhouette’s appearance. Eyes blown wide, Harry gaped as he recognised the person standing physically in front of him._

_“Harry Potter”soughed the man with a thin smile“A pleasure to see you, again”_

_Harry gaped at Vol-no Tom Riddle and the man snickered softly, his dark, red tinted eyes lit with mirth._

_“Didn’t expect to see me again?”asked Tom_

_Harry remained silent, his jaws tensing. Tom pouted._

_“I’ve known you more talkative”Tom smirked“Where is that Gryffindor’s snark and courage?”_

_Harry snarled and took out his wand to point it at him._

_“Finally a reaction!”—Tom flickered his wrist and his wand disappeared from his hand—“Even if it’s not the one I wanted”_

_“Shouldn’t you be dead?”_

_Tom smiled._

_“Oh! But I am!”—Harry raised a dubious eyebrow—“I just asked something to a dear friend of yours to be able to talk to you”_

_“A friend?”_

_Tom nodded with a large grin._

_“You know Him, or Her”Tom shrugged“I don’t know which form It takes for you”_

_Harry just stared at him confusedly and Tom rolled his eyes._

_“Death”_

_Harry inhaled sharply._

_“Why would you ask Her to talk to me?”_

_“Because you need my help”said Tom_

_“I don’t!”hissed Harry._

_“Oh! But you do”said Riddle, walking around him and gauging him“After all, Potter, we are alike, you and I”_

_“I am nothing like you!”snarled Harry._

_Tom laughed._

_“Oh! But you are!”—Tom approached him and his dark tinted red eyes bore into his green ones—“You and I are far more alike than you think”—Tom run a hand over his face lovingly—“Which is why I am going to gift you this”_

_Tom approached his face to his ears and whispered some words before cold lips fell onto his and Harry’s scar on his forehead and chest exploded with pain. He screamed into Riddle’s mouth, screaming out-loud when his lips were released._

“HARRY!”

Harry opened his eyes and coughed as if he had shouted himself hoarse. He probably did when he saw Johann’s and Steve’s worried face through the darkness of their shared bedroom. His head was pounding while his both the scars on his chest and forehead pulsed and itched. Something was dripping on his face and even his chest. Harry raised his upper body and passed a hand over his forehead then chest. Steve lit the bedside lamp on his side, along with Johann and a soft, warm, yellow glow lit the wooden room. Harry closed his eyes and whimpered slightly while Steve cursed.

“Language”said Harry, trying to lighten up the mood but neither Steve nor Johann answered him.

Harry opened his eyes to squint at his husbands and saw that their worried expression had worsened. Harry looked at them confusedly and was about to rub a hand again on his forehead because he still felt something drip but Johann grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“Wha-? What is it?”asked Harry

“Don’t do that/Don’t move”ordered Johann and Steve as the blond stood up, and walked toward their bathroom.

Harry tried to shake Johann’s grip off his hand.

“Jo, unhand me”hissed Harry.

“Don’t touch it then”replied Johann, releasing his hand.

“Touch what?”

Harry glared at the brunet and Johann grabbed Harry’s hand and showed it to him. On his hand was a trail of blood. Harry stared at his hand, eyes wide. Something—Blood— was dripping from his re-opened lightening bolt scar and, looking down, Harry also noticed the logo of the Deathly Hallows carved on his chest, where his heart is, was also bleeding. Steve walked back into the bedroom and sat on the bed, a first aid kit in his hand. Opening it, Steve and Johann proceeded to gently clean and dress the wounds. Harry tried not to hiss and cringe too much each time they dabbed the wounds with alcohol.

“Thank you”breathed Harry when they were done.

“No need to thank us”whispered Johann before kissing Harry on his temple.

Steve rolled his eyes fondly, kissed his wizard on the lips sweetly before he stood from the bed to put the first aid kit back into the bathroom.

“I pledge allegiance to the arse of Captain America and to the body for which it stands with, one booty under clothes, indescribable, with liberty and eye-fucking for all”drawled Harry, ogling Steve’s nice buttocks as the blond got into the bathroom.

Beside the wizard, Johann threw his whole body back on the bed and started laughing, nearly breaking a couple of ribs when he heard Steve sputter from inside the bathroom.

“Why are you laughing?”asked Harry, smiling at him.

Johann could only wheeze and giggle.

“Come on, I’m not the only one thinking it!”joked Harry and Johann’s giggles worsened as he nodded“I’ve even seen you ogle it, that arse is a National treasure, a virgin land that must be preserved!”

“Not so virgin anymore”breathed Johann before the two went into another laughing fit.

“Enough you two”growled Steve as he walked back into the room, his skin as red as Johann’s.

“Do he got the booty?”slurred Harry.

“He doooooooo!”finished Johann before the two laughed again and Steve glared at them as he sat on the bed.

“Harry, what was that?”asked Steve, serious.

Both Harry and Johann stopped laughing and sobered up.

“What was what?”asked Harry.

Johann groaned.

“Harry…”

“People don’t randomly start bleeding from long healed scars”said Steve“So what was that?”

Harry shook his head.

“I don’t know”replied Harry and his husbands gave him a long look“I swear I don’t, honestly”

Steve and Johann shared a dubious look but before they could ask more questions, someone knocked on their door.

“Go away!”growled Johann.

The door opened and a sleepy Tony Stark, clad in a sleeveless black shirt and navy blue boxers—wait! Is that Captain America themed boxers?— poked his head in.

“What’s with all the screaming from earlier?”asked the genius.

Steve blushed and grabbed the sheets to cover himself and Harry while Johann glared at the genius, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“What part of ‘go away’ you don’t understand?”

Tony shrugged.

“Screaming? I put some privacy spell, how could you have heard screaming?”asked Harry

Tony shrugged again and waltzed into the room, a pillow in his arms and sat on the bed. Johann’s glaring intensified.

“Go away Stark”hissed the German man.

“Nope”

“Stark…”growled Steve.

“From what I can deduce, one of my best bro has been shaken up by a nightmare, like hell I’m going away!”

Both older men glared at the genius.

“Either you go away, Stark, or _I’ll_ make you go away”growled Johann.

Tony simply shrugged, set down his pillow and lay his head on it.

“Stark…”warned Johann.

“You can’t sleep”stated Harry.

Both super soldiers stared at Harry while Tony nodded and made himself comfortable on a small part of the bed.

“Nightmares, like yourself and what happened to you?”asked Tony as he noticed the bandages around Harry’s forehead and chest.

Harry shrugged.

“I don’t know”replied Harry.

Tony made a noise while Steve and Johann frowned at their husband.

“Harr-”

“I assure you, I don’t know”hissed Harry, cutting Johann“Last time this kind of thing happened…”—Harry inhaled and his hands twisted the sheets—“Voldemort was trying to take control of my body…or he was nearby”

Tony straightened up.

“Please, don’t tell me we have to worry about a Dark Lord, raising from the dead, along with a psycho AI?”

Harry shook his head.

“No, we don’t have to worry, I assure you”—Harry looked through the window, staring at the starry sky—“If he were to rise back, we’ll now”—Harry turned to stare at Tony—“We’ll see and feel his return”

Tony nodded.

“Glad he’s dead, definitely dead I mean”replied the genius before going back to snuggle his pillow and make himself comfortable.

Johann glared at the genius.

“Get out”ordered Johann.

Tony’s answer was to stretch languidly on the bed and even try to steal some of the sheet that was covering Harry’s and Steve’s nudity.

“Stark, get out, we’re naked”hissed Johann

“And if you think that will bothers me”—Tony snorted—“We have the same packages and you’re not the only Avengers that sleep naked, there’s Thor, too bad buddy is away I rather liked seeing him in the morning, Bruce, but that’s because he’s afraid to hulk out and rip his favorite pjs, and Natasha-”

“How do you know I sleep naked?”

Tony stilled and four head turned to the threshold where Natasha was standing, in a black dressing gown and also holding a pillow in her arms. Tony inhaled sharply as Natasha glowered at him.

“Stark?”

“Did I say you were sleeping naked?”stuttered the genius“I meant to say you went to sleep after you got Naked©”—Steve, Harry and Johann raised a blasé-ed eyebrow at the genius—“You know this rather nice smoothie drink!”

Natasha glowered at Tony and made her way toward the bed and Tony got closer to Harry, nearly sitting on the wizard’s lap when Natasha sat on the bed.

“Don’t even ask me to help you get out here alive”drawled Steve.

Natasha’s answer was to put down her pillow next to Tony’s and lay down on it slowly. Johann glared at her then Tony.

“What is it? A slumber party?!”hissed the German man“ _Raus schnell!”_

“Cool!”came another voice from the threshold and Bucky waltzed in, tugging on Bruce’s—thankfully in a dressing gown—arm, pillows under his metal arm“I never went to a slumber party”—Bucky gave Johann a wide, cheeky grin as he sat down while Bruce didn’t know where to put himself.

Johann groaned, his hands going to his face as he fell backward while cursing.

“Language”said Tony.

“ _Sie verstehen nicht einmal was ich sage!_ ”hissed the German man.

“We don’t need to know German to understand you’re cursing, _сука_ ”drawled Bucky.

Steve cleared his voice while glaring at his childhood friend while Harry snickered.

“How about we do this ‘Swear Jar’ thingy?”suggested the wizard.

“If we do that, Terminator and Skeletor will be broke”

Harry chortled while Bucky glared at the genius and Johann took the pillow behind him and put it on his face before screaming in it. Harry laughed at his husband’s antics before he half laid on the man and kissed his chest slowly.

“Where’s bird brain?”asked Tony“He’s missing the slumber party”

Harry chuckled as he put his arms on Johann’s chest then his head on them.

“He’s currently undisposed”replied Harry

“What can have him undisposed at this hour?”asked Bucky.

Harry gave a leering and knowing smile.

“Wife’s pregnant and he hasn’t been home recently”Harry smirked“He’s definitely honouring the wife as we speak”

The Avengers and Johann, who had raised away his pillow from his face, gaped at him.

“How would you know?”asked Tony.

“Maybe because he asked me earlier if I could to put on some privacy spells on his bedroom”

Bucky’s and Tony’s mouth made a perfect ‘o’.

“Smooth bastard”drawled Johann.

Harry nodded and straightened.

“Soooooo…Since we are kind of throwing an impromptu slumber party”—Harry snapped his finger and the furniture moved in the small room and the bed enlarged—“Let’s do it on a large bed”

Johann protested vehemently but Harry kissing him and pleading eyes made him calm down. Johann growled lowly as he lay back on the bed, tucking his face into Harry’s collarbone while muttering unintelligible German curses. In the end, Harry was sandwiched between his two husbands—with Steve spooning him and Johann nuzzling his neck from the front— Tony and Bucky, both cuddling each others, were sleeping near Steve and Natasha and Bruce were on Johann’s side. The fact that all these people were sleeping in the same room, the same bed, made them all relax and sleep without nightmare.

 

—

 

When morning came, the slumber party disbanded as people went back to their room to freshen up and/or dress up. When the married ones walked down the stairs, they saw breakfast was already made.

“Good morning”greeted Laura as she waddled into the living room to put some plates filled with food on the table“Sleep well?”

“Good morning and yes, we did”replied Steve, with a smile.

“Bed could fit the three of you?”asked the woman.

Johann nodded this time.

“Perks of having a wizard husband, they can shrink or enlarge something if needed”

Laura chuckled and nodded.

“‘M sure that must come in handy”Laura waddled back into the kitchen.

“It does, do you need any help?”asked Harry“I know being pregnant can be cumbersome, especially for chores-”

“-As you get bigger”finished the two before laughing knowingly.

“I know! I know!”said Laura before waving Harry toward the kitchen and Harry did so“How is that you know how it really feels to be pregnant?”

Harry smiled knowingly.

“What did Clint tell you? About me I mean”

“Not much, just that you’re a wizard”answered Laura.

“Well, I’m a powerful wizard and powerful wizard can bear children”

Laura beamed at him.

“How many?”asked Laura, her eyes twinkling.

“Four, eldest are eleven and youngest are nine months”

“That’s a lot”replied Laura and Harry nodded as he helped her prepare meals for super soldiers.

“Even more when they come in pair”added Harry“So believe me, I’ve been bloated”

“Oh! Don’t remind me, when I was pregnant with Lila, I’ve never felt this bloated a-”

“Seems like the two of them are already friend”said Clint as he entered, his children in tow.

“They’re talking about past pregnancies”said Natasha as she entered, followed by Bucky, Tony and Bruce“Of course they’re going to bond, I’m sure Laura has been dying to talk to someone who has experienced the same things as her”

“-e kidding me!”

“No, I’m not”replied Harry as he exited the kitchen with a large plate of food and set it on the table“I didn’t get morning sickness for my first pregnancy, but my second I had them full blast”—Harry bowed his head to greet the people around the table before flicking his wrist and the table enlarged slightly—“But the worst was the smell”

Laura made an understanding groan from the kitchen.

“Don’t remind me! I was miserable during my first pregnancy because I couldn’t eat pizza!”

Harry joined her in the kitchen.

“You poor thing! For my second pregnancy, the worst smell that had been for me was the lingering smell one of my men got after coming back from grocery shopping”

“Ditto, I couldn’t go grocery shopping for a while because of that”said Laura in an agreeing tone“That and the smell of ketchup”

“Ketchup?”

“Worst. Smell. Ever. Which is why I always asked Clint to do the shopping, when he could that’s it”

Harry chuckled.

“I know, pros of having two doting men is that when one is cuddling with you, the other can bring you anything you want, add waterworks and you get double or more”joked Harry

“Sounds like you already used this technique”commented Laura after a laugh.

“I know I did”replied Harry.

“And between your two hubbies, which one was the dottiest during your pregnancy or your mood swings?”

“Oh! Johann was my bitch”joked Harry and Johann leaned back on his chair to half glare toward the kitchen while beside the brunet, Steve was trying not to choke on his food as he laughed”If I just as sniffed he would be all over me and try to make it better”—Harry chuckled—“Maybe also because Steve had some kind of a radar whenever I was crying or demanded something and he looked ready to pound Jo, it was cute!”

“Not for me”growled Johann to himself while Steve almost snorted his toast through his nose.

“You said you had four children, what are their names?”

“Well, my eldest ones, Lily Luna and James Sirius and my youngest are Ezekiel Noah and Castiel Steven”

“Those names are so cute!”gushed Laura

“I have pictures of them if you want”—Laura must have nodded because Harry walked out of the kitchen and went to Johann, draped his arms around him while kissing him softly on the cheek—“Joooooooo, gimmie you locket please”

“What if I don’t want?”asked the German man.

“Please!”Harry kissed him on the forehead, his cheeks then his lips“Please! With a cherry on top”

Johann chuckled at his husband’s antics before taking off his locket—and breaking the Glamour on his body— and handing it to Harry.

“Thank you!”Harry kissed him one last time before walking hastily back to the kitchen.

“I thought you were self-conscious”said Steve with a small smile.

Johann gave a shrug.

“Harry just wants to show her our children, how can I say no to that?”

“More like you want to boast about your children”said Bucky

“Maybe”replied Johann with a smirk.

The Avengers laughed then went back to their meal, along with Johann. Happily digging into his eggs, Johann was surprised to see the Barton children gawking at him. Restraining himself from rolling his eyes, Johann set his cutlery down and grabbed his tea mug.

“Didn’t your mother teach you it is rude to stare?”asked gently Johann, sipping his hot drink.

The boy looked away but the girl nodded.

“Can I ask a question, sir?”asked Lila.

Johann took a gulp from his mug before shrugging.

“Sure”

“How can you breath without a nose?”asked Lila

Johann blinked slowly, sent an oblique glare at a wheezing Steve beside him before he gazed calmly at Lila.

“Lila, right?”—The little girl nodded and Johann smiled—“My daughter’s name is almost the same as yours and to answer your question, my parents were hardcore gamer of the ‘got your nose’ game”—Beside him, Steve kept on wheezing and choking his laughs while some of the Avengers out-right laughed.

Lila giggled.

“Sir, you’re lying”

“I assure you, I’m not!”replied truthfully Johann, a wide smile on his lips.

Lily giggled again, and Cooper chuckled.

“Don’t believe him, kids”breathed Steve“Johann is a big, fat liar”

Johann fake gasped at Steve, a hand to his chest as if wounded.

“Why, I never!”

The children giggled again.

“You didn’t answer my question, sir!”said Lily after a few giggles.

Johann snorted.

“Who said someone needed a nose to breath?”Johann made a ‘come here’ motion“Come, I’ll show you”

Lila stepped down her chair and went around the table to join Johann. When Lila was next to him, Johann bent down and gently grabbed one of Lila’s hands then held it up to his missing nose. Johann inhaled then exhaled and Lila smiled.

“You can breath!”

“Of course! How can I be here and talk if not?”replied Johann with a smile.

The little girl smiled then, curiously, ran a hand on his cheek, feeling the skin.

“It’s so soft”

Johann breathed a small laugh.

“I have a good dermatologist”—Johann refrained from hitting Steve who laughed behind him.

Lila smiled at him then kissed his cheek gently then went back to her seat. Johann blinked once, twice then smiled before going back to his breakfast. Steve nudged him gently.

“Schmidt, you’ve grown so, so soft with age!”soughed Steve and Johann half heartedly hit him on the shoulder.

“Shut up, Rogers”

Steve laughed.

“Laura, come! Food’ll get cold”called Clint.

Giggling, Laura and Harry came out of the kitchen then sat at the table, Harry between his husbands and Laura next to Clint. With a smile, Harry put Johann’s locket back on the man and the children watched, awed, as Johann’s human face appeared again.

“Maybe, after breakfast, you’ll come and help me decorate the baby’s room”said

“Gladly!”replied Harry

“Are you going to stop hogging my wife, Potter?”asked Clint.

“Never!”joked Harry“I finally have someone to rant my pregnancies to, I’m not giving her back!”

“I’m also glad to have someone to talk to, especially one who shared the same things I went through three times already”added Laura“Would you do it again, Harry?”

Harry laughed, unaware of the weird, yet curious, gaze of his husbands.

“Honestly, I don’t know”replied Harry“Maybe, I don’t like the whole baby planning thing, I like to think a baby is something unplanned but not unwanted”

“Amen to that”said Clint while Laura stared at him.

“Sounds like you have something behind this thinking, am I wrong?”

Harry gave Laura a kind smile.

“Maybe when it’s just _us_ ”replied Harry

Over Harry’s head, Steve and Johann shared a strange look while the rest of the Avengers and the Bartons eyed the wizard.

“If you don’t want to talk about that, it’s okay, Harry”said Laura and Harry shook his head gently.

“Actually you gave me an idea on how to breach a certain subject”replied Harry.

“What kind of subject?”asked Tony

“What happened”answered Harry.

“What ‘what happened’? Many things happened”replied Bucky.

“I know some…Actually most of you are curious of me and my past, so let’s make a deal”piped Harry“I tell you all what was my childhood, after breakfast, and in exchange……I want to know what the mutant girl made you see”

Some of the Avengers scolded their feature into blankness while others looked away, uneasily.

“Sounds fair”said Bucky.

“Easy for you to say, Colonel Steven Austin”—Johann, Steve and Bucky raised a confused eyebrow at the genius—“It’s not like the Wicked Witch of the West showed you anything”

“The point is”cut Harry in a tone that stopped arguments“We need to talk about what happened”

“Would you?”asked Natasha, voice a bit cold and warded“Talk about your hallucination?”

Harry gave a pointed glare at the redhead.

“Along with my past? Yes, why, you doubting me?”

“Well, you’ve been keeping to yourself for quite sometimes”

Harry rolled his eyes angrily.

“Okay, so just because I like my peacefulness makes me untrustworthy because I don’t flung my life out in the wind or that I don’t want to talk about it or what happened to me?”

“Enough you two”said Steve, glaring pointedly at Nat then Harry“We’re not doubting you, Harry, quite the contrary”

“That didn’t sound like the contrary to me Rogers and you know it”said Johann and Steve glared at him.

Harry exhaled.

“Just……We’re going to need to talk about this elephant in the room at some point”reasoned Harry, pushing his plate away“And it would be best to do it now, or else we’ll never be able to defeat Ultron”

The Avengers tensed their jaws while Laura ushered gently her children away before turning and holding her husband’s hand gently.

“Alright, Potter, you’ve won”piped Natasha.

Harry nodded. He thought about doing it later but seeing most of them had stopped eating he chose to do it now.

“Alright, so…Where to start……My……relatives……Well…They were the kind of people that wanted the perfect, normal life”said Harry“As you know, my parents were murdered by a mad man when I was a year old and I needed to be with some blood relation because of old magic or something and I ended up on my aunt’s and uncle’s doorstep, quite literally”—Harry let out a weird snicker—“Me being magical was…abnormal to them and they made it known to me, just how ‘wanted’ I was to them”

“What did they do?”asked Tony carefully as Harry picked up his mug and drank.

“The only thing that they thought could help ‘beat’ the magic out of me and make me normal”replied Harry, a sad smile on his lips as he finished his tea.

Beside him, Steve and Johann stilled and gaped at Harry.

“Are you telling us…that…?”began Bruce, slowly.

“There are many kind of abuse”replied Harry, setting his mug down“For me, I was to do the chores around the house, if I didn’t complete them, I would go on without food and be sent to my cupboard under the stairs, which had been my room until my eleventh birthday”—Harry cut himself to smile sadly—“When my magic would act up, I was beaten then grounded into my cupboard, only leaving to go to the bathroom or have my family’s leftovers, and that was if they were ‘kind’ enough to leave me some”—Harry cut himself again and breathed to gather himself—“When I wasn’t in of my cupboard I was bullied”—Steve tensed his jaws and his back straightened even more—“By my cousin and his friends……Of course I tried to tell other adults how my life was with my relatives but……Nobody believed me…For the neighbours, I was the problematic orphan the Durlseys took with them from the kindness of their heart, I had absolutely no right to ever say bad things concerning them so I didn’t tell anybody……Until now”

The Avengers gaped at him, still trying to process what Harry told them. Unfazed by the metaphorical bomb Harry had dropped on them, he went on.

“As for my hallucination……Well”—Harry inhaled then exhaled loudly—“…I’m in a dark room, filled with mirrors and inside those mirrors are the people that died during both Wizarding Wars and that I knew of…My friends…Those I considered my family…And my parents……They suddenly start shouting at me, saying that I should have died instead of them and that my…… _title_ shouldn’t be mine but someone else’s…someone worthier……Someone who could have saved them all……”

There was a tense silence as Harry stared at them expectantly, waiting.

“In my hallucination, I found myself face-to-face with my _dopplegänger_ ”said Johann, gaze miles away and his voice a bit lost“The myself from before my little space trip”—Johann looked at Harry sadly—“and meeting you……I tried to put a bullet in his head but he wouldn’t go down, even after I emptied my whole guns on him, he seized me by the throat and start scolding me for having gone soft then saying he knows exactly the cure for that, then he flings me off the floor and I land on something soft…”—Johann inhaled sharply as he bowed his head, feeling a bit sick in his stomach—“That soft thing……Is the dismembered bodies of my family, of my children, of the Avengers, neatly placed to resemble the HYDRA logo……”—Johann’s hands turns into fists on his laps—“And above me, my _dopplegänger_ is laughing at my misery, chanting ‘Hail HYDRA’s before letting fall a severed head in front of me”—Johann stared brokenly at Harry—“Yours…”—Harry gaped at Johann—“…Then the head start talking, saying it’s my fault, that I killed you, them then Steve’s head start to accuse me too…”—Johann takes a shaky gulp from his still hot tea—“…I’m glad Rogers had punched me back into the real world”

The Avengers gaped at the man and Harry embraced him gently, then kissed his temple.

“It wasn’t a hallucination for me, I saw what was done to me……”began Natasha“……In the Red Room……I remembered everything I did……Then what had to be done to me to be perfect”—The Avengers saw Natasha clasp her hands around her middle—“The perfect weapon”

“The Red Room”piped softly Johann“That Russian Project for high trained assassins girls and, officiously, the Super Soldier Serum?”

Steve—and the others people in the room— gaped at Johann then at Natasha.

“You know of it?”asked Natasha and Johann nodded.

“ _Ja_ , back in the 40s, I heard rumours of it but I never expected them to be true”answered Johann“Sorry for interrupting you”

“It’s okay”replied Natasha, waving a hand dismissively.

The tense silence settled again.

“I don’t remember what the girl showed me or the Hulk”said Bruce softly“I’m sorry I can’t share the story here”

“It’s okay”reassured Harry“It would be best if you don’t remember it”—Harry stared at all of them—“Everybody knows how much it shook us”

Tony stood up, walked away from the table then started pacing in the living room.

“Tony?”called Bruce

“It’s because of her…”muttered the genius“It’s because of her I…”—Tony cut himself and passed a tired hand on his face—“Ultron was supposed to protect the Earth should the Avengers fail……”

“Tones”Harry stood up and walked toward the genius“What did she make you see?”

Tony gulped with great difficulties.

“It didn’t feel like a hallucination”began warily Tony“But more like a vision……I was back in that wormhole with the Chitauri aliens and the Leviathans……I was on a small rock with behind me the wormhole to Earth and the Chitauris were going to attack it……I turn around and I see us all, all of the Avengers, defeated”—Tony looked over Harry’s shoulder to look at Johann—“You were also there…”—Johann raised a disbelieved eyebrow—“…And dead, like most of the Avengers…”—Tony swallowed with troubles—“…I went to the nearest person, Steve, and I find that he’s dead……He suddenly grabs me and ask ‘Why didn’t you do more to save us?’ then he died…”—Tony resumed his pacing, breathing sharply and heavily—“…Then I heard a cry…”—Tony stared at Harry—“…Yours, Ry…And I raise my head and I see two shadows, one slender and hooded and the other large and armoured, both flanking you, and Ry, you’re bleeding, barely breathing and impaled……And you were still alive, Ry, you were impaled on every inches of your skin and yet, you were still alive…And cursing and blaming me for killing your family…”

Harry stared sadly at the rambling genius before him, rambling genius that was about to go bat shit crazy from hysteria if he didn’t do something. Harry did the only logical thing, he went closer to Tony and embraced him slowly and strongly. Tony tensed in his arms before he slumped into them, his face nuzzling his neck while he let out a soundless sob.

“Tony, I could never, ever blame you for the death of Steve or Johann or my family”said Harry“If anything, I’ll blame myself but never you and never, ever someone else, do you understand?”

Tony breathed shakily and nodded against his neck and Harry tightened his hold on the genius.

“You didn’t tell us what you saw, Steve”pointed Bucky slowly.

Steve tensed his jaws and looked away and both Harry and Johann felt his fear and uneasiness through their bond.

“Steve?”Harry’s voice almost sounded broken and that made Steve tense his jaws more.

“……It’s the end of the war…”began Steve slowly“…I’m entering a room with a party inside…I roam around it slightly then I see Peggy…”—Steve got a nostalgic glint in his eyes that almost tore Harry’s heart when he recognized love—“…We can finally have our date and dance together……We start……We start slowly waltzing before we stopped and she goes to kiss me…”—Steve couldn’t see it but Harry’s face was as if someone had murdered his whole family—“…But before I can, the people in the room, and her, vanish and I’m left alone”

Steve stared at each people in the room, his eyes lingering sadly on Harry, who is gaping at him almost brokenly.

“…That’s all?”asked the wizard.

Steve nodded.

“You didn’t hallucinate something remotely bad”replied Harry, his tone barely holding at bay his anger.

“You sound unhappy”stated Steve.

“No Steve, I’m beyond that, on one hand I’m glad you didn’t have to suffer through the imaginary gory death of your family and on the other hand I’m mad and there’s no need to tell you why by the way!”hissed Harry“Merlin’s balls! Even Jo imagined _YOUR_ death and he half hates your guts and you’re telling me, telling us, you hallucinated being back in your time, with Peggy and getting your date _and_ dance?! Did you even get a glimpse, a hint that me, the kids, hell, even Jo, were in that hallucination?! Or hints of your FAMILY DYING OR SUFFERING?!”

Steve opened his mouth then closed it, only to open it then close it again with a snap. What he did was answer enough for the wizard who saw red.

“Fuck you, Rogers!”snarled Harry“At last, I know why you’ve been a bit distant lately or why our Bond was closed on your side”

Steve visibly winced and shook his head vehemently while Harry glowered at the blond and Johann didn’t know what to do and could only stare at them like one stare at a tennis match.

“Harry, it’s not that!”reasoned Steve calmly“It-”

“Then what is it, Rogers?!”snarled Harry“What exactly is it then?! Is it your way of telling me you don’t even have feelings for me?!”

Steve’s eyes widened before he shook his head as he stood up and walked toward the wizard.

“No, no, no! It’s not that, I swear!”replied Steve”Why are you even thinking that?”

“Do you even love me? Or am I just some rebound fucktoy”—Steve visibly flinched—“For you to use because you couldn’t get over Peggy!?”asked Harry and Steve stared brokenly at Harry“Why didn’t I see the fucking pattern?! We’re both fucking Brits, headstrong, dark haired and we both aimed you to set you fucking straight! How could I have been this naïve?!”

Steve advanced toward Harry, intending to take him in his arms but Harry stepped back, hands shaped like claws in front of him as if he was about to jump and rip the blond’s throat.

“Do not touch me, Rogers, do not even try to approach me”barked Harry, glowering at the blond before stalking out of the living room then outside.

From the window, they could see Harry transform into a bird then fly away. Steve watched him go, his body suddenly feeling drained, tired, and as if someone had wrenched his heart out with a plastic spoon. Someone clapped sarcastically.

“Well done, Rogers, you just made your husband hate you”drawled Johann, standing up“Maybe ex-husband now”

“Shut up Schmidt”hissed Steve, turning around.

“I’m not going to shut up, _Kapitäin_ ”

Steve and Johann came to stand face-to-face and looked ready to beat the other to a pulp.

“Boys, that’s enough”drawled Natasha but both super soldiers ignored her.

Laura glared at the two men, stood up and literally put herself between them and separated the super soldiers.

“That’s enough!”replied Laura in a strong voice.

Johann and Steve glared at each other before Johann huffed angrily and stalked out, into the porch with Steve glaring at his back before the blond used the door of the kitchen to leave the house. A tense silence settled in the room.

“That was great! Let’s do it again!”said Tony.

“Shut up Stark”drawled Bucky.

 

—

 

Harry was giving Steve the cold shoulder, even in bed where he didn’t lay in the middle and either slept in Johann’s arms or sandwiched between the German man and Tony—who decided to keep using their room for a slumber party with the others. So far, they haven’t heard much about Ultron through the news but they did heard, multiple times, about what happened in Johannesburg with the Hulk—and each time it was mentioned, Bruce would leave the room, ashamed. It broke his heart to pieces to see his friend suffer. Getting out of the house, Harry—his face covered with dots of apple green and white paint—stood on the porch, a glass of iced tea in one hand and smiled at Clint and Cooper as they fixed the railing. Two days had passed and they were still here, in Clint’s farm, waiting, healing a bit maybe, he didn’t know but they weren’t ready to go face Ultron yet.

‘ _But we’ll have to, at some point’_ thought Harry, taking a sip of his tea.

Turning his head, Harry saw Bucky with Lila feeding the chickens while he faintly heard someone chop wood on his right side. The rest of the team were inside the house doing Merlin knows what. Taking another sip, Harry eyed the trees, sky and clouds and felt a wave of calmness wash over him. Feeling the eyes of someone on him, Harry looked on his right and found Steve gazing longingly at him. The blond had an axe in one hand and appeared to be chopping wood with Tony. A nameless anger surged inside him and he couldn’t help but glower at the blond before looking away, huffing silently. Someone passed their arms around his waist before a head rested on top of his.

“Still mad at him?”

Harry gave a positive grunt and above him, Johann sighed.

“You know you shouldn’t, really”

“Jo…Do you know how it feels to be used by someone you thought loved you?”hissed lowly the raven-haired wizard.

Harry heard Johann raise an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you going to far here?”

Harry gave a growl.

“And to answer your rhetoric question, yes, I know”said Johann.

Harry tensed slightly before he heaved a loud breath.

“Merlin…Jo, I’-”

Johann kissed the top of his head.

“It’s okay”said the older man“I still got you in the end, I have to share you but I don’t mind, really”—Johann paused—“……And I don’t think R-Steve is using you as a rebound for Peggy”

Harry clenched his jaws.

“Why saying that?”

**THWOCK!**

Harry looked toward Tony’s and Steve’s way and saw the two going back to cutting their logs, looking like they were talking.

‘ _Or arguing, I never know with these two’_

“Because this is the man who fought alongside you, crushed over you, patiently waited to ask you out, stayed when he learnt of your past demons, worries and even of your cheating, followed you into your witch hunt, _compromised and bargained_ with his _archenemy_ to stay with you and finally loved you”said Johann“Believe me, no man without any concrete feelings _for you_ would do that”

Harry gave a small noise and went back to watching his husband and friend. Now they definitely looked like they were arguing although he couldn’t make out what they were arguing about.

“Jo, can you hear what they are saying?”

Just as Johann turned his head, the two watched as Steve ripped angrily a large log in half before he glared at Tony then scolded—Because, yes, Steve has his ‘disappointed daddy’ look on!— the genius. Harry, sometimes, forgot his husbands were super soldiers and when he was reminded of it, it was always in a sexy kind of way. Taking a gulp from his iced tea, Harry felt Johann tense behind him and it sounded as if had something stuck in his throat.

‘ _Or maybe he’s choking on his saliva’_

“Thirsty?”asked Harry, offering his drink to Johann.

Johann stared at the glass then at the smirking knowingly Harry before looking away.

“…Don’t start”

Harry breathed a laugh.

“Are you questioning your feeling for Steve _again_? Like when you did when he had his beard?”

Johann stayed silent and glared at the trees.

“You are!”

“Shut up”hissed the sapphire-eyed man.

Harry laughed again, louder this time, bringing attention to them.

“Don’t you dare tell Rogers!”hissed lowly the brunet.

Harry laughed louder.

“I’ll tell Steve his milkshakes brings all the boys to his yard, even the villains!”

Harry almost thought the Glamour stopped working on his husband as he got so red in his face from embarrassment and he laughed even louder. The door behind them opened and Laura walked out, smiled at them before she walked toward Steve and Tony.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Stark”began Laura“Uh, Clint said you wouldn't mind, but, our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all…I thought maybe you might…”

“Yeah, I'll give it a kick”said Tony in a low voice before turning to Steve and said in a joking tone“Don't take from my pile”

He even pointed it childishly and that had him nearly choke on a laugh.

‘ _Actual five years old Tony Stark’_ thought Harry, following Tony with his eyes as the man made his way towards the barn.

As he eyed the thing, Harry felt a pull towards it and his magic reacted slowly before a dark and familiar voice whispered something in his ears. Setting shakily his iced tea on the railing, Harry exited Johann’s embrace, breathing heavily.

“Harry? Harry, are you alright?”asked Johann.

Holding onto the railing, Harry breathed, reining his magic.

“Harry?”called a close voice and Harry looked up and into Steve’s worried baby blue eyes.

Breathing sharply, Harry walked back inside the house under the worried stares of his husbands. Walking hastily toward the kitchen and its sink, Harry opened the tap and drank hungrily before he passed water over his face to clear his mind and cool himself. Raising his head, Harry gazed at the barn and Tony that was coming back from it and the pull came back, stronger this time, followed by the voice in his head that had got louder.

‘ _Pull yourself together, Potter!’_

Passing water over his face again, Harry looked outside, and tried not to focus on the barn. He failed. Through the kitchen’s window, Harry eyed the barn Tony had gone into and Vol-Tom Riddle’s voice whispered again the words from his dream.

‘ _A spell’_ said the voice, in Riddle’s one‘ _A very useful spell’_

Without his knowing, his body had moved. He opened the kitchen’s exit door silently and made his way toward the barn, his eyes focused unseeingly on the roof.

 

—

 

“What happened?”asked Steve as he stared at Harry’s retracting back.

Johann shook his head as he shrugged.

“I-I don’t know! He was calm and suddenly, he looked like he was trying to hold back a panic attack”

Steve stared at him, a bit angrily.

“What did you tell him?”

Johann snarled.

“Why do you _always_ accuse _me_ of something whenever he’s moody?! Like I _have done something!?_ ”snarled Johann“I’m not the one who has been using Harry as a re-”

Steve was suddenly up in his face.

“Finish this sentence, Schmidt”hissed Steve“And I’m ripping that tongue out”

“Why, _Kapitäin_ , can’t handle the truth?”snarled Johann.

They were now forehead to forehead, body coiling and bracing for the incoming blows the other might throw.

“I may have been in love with Peggy but I have moved on, you know it”hissed lowly, dangerously Steve.

“And yet, you still are in love with her so why marry him when you could have happily kept your chastity and your dreams or married Sharon Carter, Peggy’s niece, and she does look like her, way to sate your fantasies”replied Johann angrily and Steve looked ready to strangle him.

“Because I love him! I admit a part of me is still in love with Peggy, of her memory, and will always be, but I love Harry, I love him for who he is and it’s with him I want to have a life, not Peggy nor Sharon”snarled Steve“I told you, I married him because I love him!”

“And you’ve been doing a _marvellous_ job at displaying it recently”remarked sarcastically the German man with a dry smile and Steve visibly seethed.

“Enough, you two”drawled Clint, coming behind them, two tranquilizer arrows notched on his bow“You wouldn’t want me to shoot you down? I’d hate to see Harry’s face”

Steve and Johann glowered at each other, ready to fight at any moment but Johann stepped back, his eyes still strained on the blond.

“For your sake, _Kapitäin_ ”growled Johann, stepping back again before walking inside“It would be best for you to explain things with Harry and not me”

“Or what, Schmidt?”hissed Steve, following Schmidt inside and grabbing the man by the shoulder, forcing him to look at him—startling the Bruce and Bucky as they burst into the living room—“You’re gonna punch me?”

Johann glowered at the blond and, behind the Captain, he could see Clint was aiming at them, just in case.

“No, and fuck! It itches me to! But you’re going to lose him for good if you don’t!”replied coldly Johann, wrenching his shoulder out of Steve’s grip“Haven’t you noticed he shut you out of our Bond?”

Steve looked taken aback, opening and closing his mouth like a fish and Johann glared at him.

“Of course you didn’t”hissed Johann, rubbing his face“I’ve been trying to make things right between you and Harry and with you not being careful or attentive to anything around him isn’t helping your case!”—Johann hissed loudly, arms thrown up in the air in anger and frustration—“ _Ach, ich geb's auf!_ Why did I even bother?! You don’t even put yourself into making it up to him so why should I help you!”

A tense silence settled into the room and the people watched as Steve looked away like a scolded child.

“You’ve been trying to make things right between me and Harry?”asked Steve in a small voice

“Of course I did, _du verdammt Fotze_!”shouted Johann“In case you’ve forgot but we’re a Triumvirate, we vowed to be with him until the end, to love him endlessly and be there for him! But not just him, each other too, how else could we forge the bond!? Have you forgotten?! To have the bond to work the parties must have some kind of POSITIVE feeling for the parties they’re intending to bond with! We’re not just married to him, magically, but to each other too! So when a member of _my triumvirate_ is unwell, I do my best to make things right for the _three of us_!”

Johann huffed angrily at the end of his tirade as Steve nodded slowly before the blond let out a tiny snort.

“Wow, Schmidt, didn’t know you cared, even for _me_ ”

“ _Halt die Klappe, Kapitäin_ ”growled Johann.

Steve huffed a small laugh before he extended a hand and Johann stared at it before grasping it strongly. Stark choose this moment to walk in and stare at them.

“I heard shouting from the barn, what did I miss?”

“Nothing”replied Clint, putting away his bow“Just those two idiots setting things straight”

Tony nodded slowly, watching the men as Natasha suddenly burst into the living room.

“Guys, come! It’s urgent!”

“What? What is it?”asked Bucky

“It’s Harry”replied the redhead“He’s on the roof of the barn a-”

Johann and Steve eyed each other worriedly before they ran past her and out toward the barn, closely followed by the other Avengers. They arrived at the barn, joining Laura—who held a hand over her mouth and another on her pregnant stomach— and the kids, all of them, head raised up and staring at the black-long-cloaked wizard while Clint went into the barn.

“Harry! Harry, don’t move!”said Steve.

Johann looked around for a way to go on the roof but couldn’t find anything.

“Clint is getting the ladder”replied Laura.

“No need”replied Clint, walking out of the barn“Dumbass may have vanished it, as I can’t find it”

Johann and Steve worked their jaws before both placed themselves near and under the wizard.

“Harry”began Steve“I understand you’re angry but please, step down and we’ll talk”

Harry stayed silent, his eyes riveted on the trees ahead of him.

“Harry…”tried Johann

“Potter, stop being an idiot”drawled Tony“Suicide isn’t a solution, and it’s not like you can actually die”—Tony ignored the scathing glowers thrown his way—“You’ll only end up hurting yourself so get down here”

Harry turned his head and stared down at the genius.

“What do you think you’re doing, Stark?”growled Natasha.

“Well, guy isn’t wrong”said Bucky and Natasha glared at him.

“Still, it’s not how you coax someone not to jump”said Bruce and Natasha nodded furiously.

Tony raised a bored eyebrow before he pointed up and they all watched as Harry stepped back.

“It worked”said Tony after a shrug.

“And what if it hadn’t worked, Stark? Like most of _your plans_ lately!?”hissed Steve, glaring at the genius.

Before Tony could send a scathing remark, determined footsteps echoed on wood and they watched as Harry ran then jumped off the barn.

 

—

 

He knew it was a stupid idea. Hell, he was sure _that_ had been a part of a remnant hallucination that the she-Mutant had given him on the boat but his magic had reacted to those words and maybe……It hadn’t been a complete hallucination. Harry was aware of the fear and worry emanating from his friends—and mostly from his husbands through their bond— but he had to see if the spell Riddle told him was what he had in mind. So he stepped back to the end of the barn before running to the other end……And jumped, repeating in his mind the words Riddle had whispered. He didn’t feel himself fall, strangely and Harry opened his eyes —when had he closed them?— and stared at the forest before him while he stayed up in the air.

 

—

 

Flabbergasted, the Avengers and the Bartons watched as Harry stayed up in the air, his lower body ending in black smoke. They saw Harry gape at his ability to fly before they watched the wizard’s body faintly transform into smoke before he flew away at a great speed.

“He can fly?! Since when?!”asked Clint.

Johann and Steve shook their head and shrugged, both flummoxed and entirely focused on Harry’s smoky flying silhouette that zigzagged between trees before it went up high in a sharp chandelle. They gaped at the long trail of black smoke that followed Harry before it stopped and they watched the distinct body of Harry Potter escape the smoke and fall.

“Stark, ready your armor”ordered Steve as he watched Harry fall.

Tony shook his head and Steve had to restrain himself not to sock the genius.

“Dude’s pulling us a Neo”said Tony with a smile“He’ll be fine, I’m sure”

Just as Tony said this, Harry’s body transformed back into smoke right before he touched the ground and flew away quickly yet lazily, going up and down. The black smoke flew toward them before it crashed, leaving a large trench with at the end a large column of swirling black smoke. The smoke receded and Harry was finally visible, heaving, his AK green eyes wide and glowing with unmistakable magic and power and his body tense. Harry breathed in and out, his magic tingling inside his whole body but particularly in his limbs, as if hundreds of fire ants were crawling and stinging him. Harry gave a small noise before he kneeled onto the ground, exhausted and his arms pricking and hurting. Steve and Johann moved quickly then gathered him in their arms and Harry relaxed, his body going lax and he leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder. Behind them, the group advanced up to them.

“Oh, God, is he all right?”asked Laura.

“I believe so”replied Tony before crouching and poking lightly Harry on his shoulder“You dead Potter?”

Steve and Johann glared at him, tightening their embrace protectively around Harry while the wizard chuckled.

“Not yet, just a bit tired”

“What was even that?”asked Bruce.

“And since when can you fly?”asked Bucky.

“That stunt you pulled was really stupid, Potter”drawled Natasha.

Harry breathed a laugh before he took his head off Steve’s shoulder and stared at the worried group.

“I know it was stupid”replied calmly Harry before standing up shakily, helped by his two husbands.

“Then why did you do it?”asked Clint.

Harry shrugged then looked away.

“I just had a gut feeling that needed to be tested”

“Well, next time you get this kind of feeling, tell us, because I nearly had a heart attack!”drawled Johann

“At your age? Not uncommon”replied Steve and Johann glared at the blond.

“Pot. Kettle, Rogers”

“Why did you jump, Potter?”growled Clint

Harry shrugged.

“I don’t know, just a gut feeling”

“Would it have any link with your nightmare?”asked Tony.

Harry stayed silent and the Avengers groaned.

“Harry!”

“Sorry not sorry!”

“You can’t just pull something like this, Potter!”hissed Natasha

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Like Tony said, it’s not like I can actually die”drawled Harry, staring at his tingling hands and flexing his fingers“I know you all want me to be careful but-”—Inside his palms, he made tiny flames appear, flames that didn’t seem to burn his skin—“-I believe it’s time I make use of my curse and my title”—Harry raised his head and stared pointedly at each of the Avengers—“We need to leave and fight Ultron, now”

“Do you have a plan for that?”drawled Johann.

Harry vanished the tiny flames and almost whimpered out-loud when the tingling was back and looked toward the barn.

“Why don’t you tell us? Fury”called Harry.

Some of the Avengers eyed strangely Harry then gaped as the tall, dark-skinned and one-eyed former-Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. came out of the barn.

“Nice little show you gave us here, Potter”Fury said, gazing at all the Avengers and more particularly Johann.

Harry saw the man’s eye linger on Johann and immediately put himself in front of his husband.

“When I heard of Captain Rogers and you marrying, I didn’t expect a third party, especially not the Founder of HYDRA”remarked Fury, glaring at the concerned.

“Neither did we”said Harry“But then again, what Steve or I do in our spare time is our business”

Fury blinked before he walked toward them and stood right in front of Harry.

“You seem to forget S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA are enemies, Potter”said Fury.

“And yet, have you had to report any incident with HYDRA since Ultron started wrecking havoc?”retorted calmly Harry.

“Why should they? Strucker is dead, so is Dr. List and another upcoming Head called Bakshi is dead”stated Fury“HYDRA has no more head, it’ll die soon”

“I highly doubt HYDRA is dead”said Johann, placing a calming hand on Harry’s shoulder and stepping before the wizard“Not because I’m still alive but because I know my organisation”—Johann tilted his eyes as he stared into Fury’s eye—“You seem rather well informed on what’s happening inside it by the way, even better than me, is Coulson and his team your intel?”

Fury clenched his jaws and Johann knew he had hit bull’s eye.

“If you think I haven’t been informed of your little team of agents, you’re wrong”replied Johann in an amused tone.

“Schmidt”said warningly Steve and Johann shrugged his shoulders and put up his hands in mock surrender.

“My point is, you don’t know who can be still alive in HYDRA, it’s still dangerous even if it has no head, they were able to survive without me or any other Head and they’ll do it again”said Johann.

“You sound like you are realising your organisation is bad and dangerous”deadpanned Fury.

“Oh! _I_ know how dangerous HYDRA can be”said Johann, glaring at Fury“Which is why I want to protect my family and children, even if it’s against whatever I established in the first place”

Fury raised an eyebrow at him.

“Family? Children?”

Johann rolled his eyes.

“Just because I’m a villain, I’m not allowed to have a life?”deadpanned the German man.

“Jo”Harry hugged Johann from behind and Johann snapped his mouth shut.

“Sir, Harry is right, we need to fight back Ultron”said Steve“The longer we stay here, the worse the situation will be”

Johann nodded strongly.

“We really need to gather ourselves and kill Ultron”said the sapphire-eyed man“I know those Mutants have been messing with our heads but right now it’s not by playing ol’ McDonald that we’ll solve the problem, but by fighting we will”

“Big Red is right”drawled Tony.

“What are we waiting for then?”asked Bucky, who had been itching to get out of here and start fighting Ultron.

“Let’s discuss this inside”suggested Laura“It’ll be dark soon”

 

—

 

“Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time”began Fury after dinner was eaten and washing the dishes was starting“My contacts all say he's building something”

“Well, with all the Vibranium he has, I would’t be surprised if he created something”commented Johann from outside—having gone out for a smoke since Laura was pregnant— and Fury eyed him.

“Except that, with the amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing”added Fury

“What about Ultron himself?”asked Steve

“Ah! He's easy to track, he's everywhere”replied Fury, handing a plate to Harry to scrub“Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit”

“That doesn’t really help us, Fury”said Harry

“Is he still going after launch codes?”asked Tony, playing darts with Barton and Bucky.

“Yes, he is”revealed the former Director and a few Avengers held their breath for a second“But he's not making any headway”

“Thank God, I would hate to know he has the power to nuke us at any moment”commented Bucky, firing his dart and groaning when he missed the middle by a couple of cases.

Tony snorted and took a stance to throw his dart

“I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare”

“Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that”said Fury

“NEXUS?”asked Harry, Steve, Bucky and Johann.

“It's the world internet hub in Oslo”answered Bruce“Every byte of data flows through there, fastest access on earth”

“So what'd they say?”asked Clint, looking at Fury and throwing his darts—and hitting bull’s eye under Tony’s and Bucky’s groans.

“He's fixated on the missiles”answered Fury“But the codes are constantly being changed”

“By whom?”asked Johann, coming back inside.

“Parties unknown”

“We have an ally? After all this?”asked Harry, finishing the washing and coming to sit at the table.

“Ultron's got an enemy”corrected Fury“That's not the same thing”

“‘Enemy of my enemy…’”said Johann

“‘Could turn into your enemy if you don’t watch your back’”said Fury, serving himself some iced tea“Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is”

“I might need to visit Oslo”said Stark“Find our ‘unknown’ ally”

“Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that”admitted Natasha

“I do, I have you and not counting you”—Fury pointed at Johann who lazily raised an eyebrow—“Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else, you kids had all the tech you could dream of…”—Fury moved to stand by the table—“…Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world”

The Avengers stayed silent, as if listening to a father’s sermon.

“Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission”went on Fury“And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction, all this, laid in a grave……So stand, outwit the platinum bastard”

“Steve doesn't like that kind of talk”joked Natasha

“You know what, Romanoff? Fuck you”replied Steve in the same tone as Nat’s.

Fury eyed Steve.

“Do you kiss your husbands with that mouth?”

“Just Harry/Who said he just kiss?”drawled Johann and Harry at the same time.

“So what could Ultron want?”asked Johann

“Become better, stronger”said Harry, knowing the pattern.

“Our work is never over”sang Tony and Harry glared at him.

“He kept building bodies”pointed out Bucky.

“Person bodies”corrected Tony“The human form is inefficient, biologically speaking, we're outmoded, but he keeps coming back to it”

“When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed”remarked Natasha

“Thank you, for your input, Natasha”said Tony with a smile.

“You’re welcome”

“They don't need to be protected”said Bruce, staring at a the butterfly drawing Lila had given Natasha a bit earlier“They need to evolve”—Bruce looked up at them—“Ultron's going to evolve”

“How can he do that?”asked Clint

Johann frowned before remembering something and his eyes widened.

“Cho”—Heads turned toward Red Skull—“Has anybody heard of Dr. Cho recently?”

“Why do yo-”Steve’s eyes widened as it dawned on him and Johann nodded solemnly.

“When we first saw Ultron, he said something about a chrysalis”said Johann, slowly“What can Dr. Helen Cho do?”

The eyes of every Avenger lit up in understanding.

“Pinocchio wants to become a real boy”said eerily Harry, standing up.

Steve stared at all of them.

“Everybody suit up”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Slowly, people went to their room to change quickly. Once suited up, Steve walked down the stairs and picked up his shield from the couch

“I'll take Natasha, Schmidt and Clint”said Steve, strapping the shield to his back

“And me”growled Harry, putting on his long, black coat, Johann on his heels“You won’t get away that easily, Rogers”

Steve looked ready to refuse but a look from Johann forced him to accept.

“All right, strictly recon”said Tony, coming up to met them by the door“I'll hit the NEXUS, I'll join you as soon as I can”

“If Ultron is really building a body…”began Steve

“He'll definitely be more powerful than any of us”said Johann“Maybe all of us”

Harry snorted.

“If he has a living body, the Killing Curse will work on him”

“That may be a possibility but let’s make sure he doesn’t have his body so that we never know if it works or not”said Tony and Harry had to nod at that.

“You know”began Steve, a tone of fake nostalgia“I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me”

Johann snorted.

“I believe you’re only second in this one”said Johann, deactivating his Glamour for a second before putting it back up.

“Point for Old Spice”said Tony as Fury joined them as he put on his jacket.

“I'll drop Banner and Barns off at the tower, do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?”

“She's all yours apparently”drawled Tony“What are you gonna do?”

“I don't know”admitted Fury“Something dramatic, I hope”

With that, Fury opened the door and left. Natasha joined them at the door follow minutes later by Clint.

“Ready to go?”asked Harry to the archer who nodded.

It was barely morning when they left. Tony was putting on his suit as he would do the rest of the trip to Oslo with it.

“I’ll see you all later, be careful”said Tony as the door of the Avenjet opened and he flew off.

“We’re always careful”said Harry to no one as the door closed.

“Clint, hit the gas”ordered Steve.

Clint sped up to reach Cho’s lab. in Seoul. As they waited, Harry stared at the small team. Johann was assembling, de-assembling and re-assembling weapons, Natasha was playing with a knife—that made a Vibranium-made sound, prompting him to think she had nicked it from Johann— and Steve……Steve was starring at him longingly. Harry looked away, his cheeks a bit red. He saw Steve come closer to him from the corner of his eyes.

“Harry? Can I talk to you?”asked Steve“It’s…Ah…I wanted…I wanted-”

“Shut up”cut Harry and Steve snapped his mouth shut“Don’t you dare come to me like this”

Steve swallowed.

“This?”

“Yes, this”—Harry pointed at him—“You act as if it will be the last time we will ever talk so no Rogers, your little speech about being sorry for everything _right_ before you drop off to fight the bad guy you can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine”

Flabbergasted, Steve opened his mouth.

“I wasn’t gonna do that!”

“Then please tell me why you were looking at me like that and then came to talk to me”

“It’s just in case!”

“Steve you won’t die”drawled Harry“Because if you do, I’ll find a way to bring you back so that I can kill you”

Steve stared into Harry’s emerald eyes and found them filled with mirth and love. Steve smiled softly, stepping closer to the wizard.

“Cap, we’re here”interrupted Clint and Steve emitted a low growl.

The door of the Avenjet opened and the air gushed in. Reluctantly, Steve stepped away from Harry, securing his helmet and shield as he prepared himself to jump. Behind him, Harry and Johann stared at him. Johann gave a long look at Harry before moving his head and eyes toward the blond and Harry, after inhaling sharply, walked up to him.

“Steve?”—Steve stopped and turned around—“You’ll be careful?”

“I’m always careful”replied Steve with a cocky smirk and Harry nodded“You come with me?”

Harry shook his head.

“Jo and I are back-up in case things go sour or something needs to be done, same goes for Nat”

Steve stared at him lengthily before nodding and Harry opened his mouth only to close it as he started stepping away, he barely made three steps before Steve had grabbed his arm, twirled and dipped him before kissing him silly.

“ _Endlich!!”_ —Behind them, Johann had looked up at the ceiling while double fist bumping the air in victory.

Steve released his lips and gazed lovingly at his husband as he brought him back up.

“Be careful”—Steve raised his head and glanced at Johann—“You too”

Johann nodded while Harry kissed Steve back and Steve jumped off the plane.

“He’ll be fine, right?”asked Harry after the door closed.

Johann snorted.

“Of course he’ll be, he’s Captain America”

“Two minutes”came Steve’s voice from the monitor and their comm.“Stay close”

“Roger that”said Clint.

After a few minutes, Steve’s voice was heard again.

“Dr. Cho!”

“He's uploading himself into the body”they heard the woman say.

“So, it has already begun”said Johann, darkly.

“Where?”asked Steve

“The real power is inside the Cradle…The gem-”

“ _Master!”_

Harry started and looked around.

“Did you guys hear that?”

“That what?”asked Natasha

“Its power is uncontainable…You can't just blow it up…You have to get the Cradle to Stark”

“ _Master!”_

Harry took a few steps back as a headache hit him and the Deathly Hallow scar on his chest started burning lightly. Harry closed his eyes and was hit with succession of rapid images of gems, colours, stars, space, a tall purple guy and Death. Gasping soundlessly, Harry opened his eyes.

“First I have to find it”

“ _Master!”_

Harry felt a pull out of the plane. Looking at the heavy door, Harry closed his eyes and breathed deep breath before his stare hardened and his eyes glowed eerily.

“ _Master!”_

“Go”

That was the last thing he heard as Harry felt his body turn to smoke. Slowly, the wizard seeped through the space of the door and flew outside. Coming to a halt in mid-air, Harry turned his upper body solid and looked around. The scar on his chest burned again and he blinked his pain…and suddenly, Harry was seeing the world differently. The landscape was pitch black except for the white dots moving around. Harry gasped faintly when he realised that the dots represented living beings. His vision seemed to be able to focus on a specified person before moving around then returning back to normal focus.

“Did you guys copy that?”came Steve’s voice in his ear.

“We did”replied Clint.

Harry did a quick learning of this new power as they talked, finding that the dots that were glowing white were muggles, blue magical beings and those who were darkening in colour were the dying ones.

“I got a private jet taking off, across town, no manifest”informed Natasha“That could be him”

“Hum…Guys, has anyone seen Harry?”came Johann’s voice.

“Are you blind? Harry’s ri-”

They must have finally noticed he was gone.

“Guys? Guys what is it?”asked Steve.

“It’s Harry”answered Natasha“He-”

“Is not here”cut Johann, a hint of franticness in his voice“He was here just a second ago!”

“I’m outside”replied Harry, flying up to them before tapping the window with a smile.

Harry heard them gasp before turning his head back to the city, looking for Ultron. He understood that the rapidly moving white dots encased in grey auras were people driving but when he saw an all-dark truck with a strong yellow light inside, he knew he had found the robot.

“Harry? Your eyes…”breathed Johann, his eyes wide.

‘ _They are pitch black, completely’_ thought Johann worriedly.

“I found them! I found Ultron”said Harry, before pointing to a truck with the logo of Cho’s lab“A truck from the lab., they’re in here!”

“How do you know?”asked Steve

“I just do”

“Boy Wonder is right, I got three with the Cradle, one in the cab truck’s”said Clint“They’re right above you, Cap, on the loop by the bridge”—Clint paused—“ I could take out the driver”

Harry got flashes of a purple gem and the ravage it did on what seemed to be an alien planet.

“DON’T!”shouted Harry“This gem is powerful, do not let it touch the ground”

“Harry? Harry, are you alright?”asked Johann, worried.

Harry breathed heavily, his eyes and vision returning to normal.

“I am, just…Be careful with this thing”

“We need to find a way to draw Ultron”said Steve as he climbed over a part of the road that passed over the main one.

Harry watched as the blond jumped over the guardrail and landed unsteadily on the truck. He gasped when the door Steve was hanging on was blasted by lasers. Snarling, Harry’s transformed his whole body into smoke and took chase of the truck.

He arrived just as Steve was getting blasted again and immediately cushioned his fall with his smoke body, absorbing him in it. And now, both were nose to nose inside a protective, black, smoke screen.

“Didn’t know I could do that”mumbled Harry.

“Not that I mind the proximity but could you send me back”said Steve, grinning cheekily.

Harry gave him his grin back before pecking him quickly.

“Go get him”

Harry flew toward the truck, willed the smoke to let Steve go on it before going up in a chandelle and overseeing his husband as Ultron appeared, standing at the beginning of the vehicle.

“You know what's in that Cradle?”asked the robot, firing at Steve who protected himself with his shield“The power to make real change, and that terrifies you”

“I wouldn't call it a comfort”replied Steve with a cheeky grin before throwing his shield at Ultron.

The robot visibly snarled and fired more lasers at Steve until a black smoke swirled angrily around him, obscuring his sight and started damaging his components and circuits. The smoke suddenly cleared and a shield embedded itself in his chest.

“Stop it!”—He took the shield from his chest and threw it away.

 

—

 

“We should send back up”said Johann and Clint nodded.

“Ready to drop, Nat, Skull?”asked the archer as Nat moved, followed by Johann.

“Yeah”said the redhead, standing up and going to the middle of the plane.

She tapped something in the console and a trap door underneath the plane opened on a motorbike. Johann dropped down with a grin and sat behind the handlebars.

“ _Ja”_ said Johann, pleased.

“Huhuh, you take shotgun, I drive”said Natasha, glaring at him.

“And for my EMP bullets?”asked Johann with a cheeky grin.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him.

“We got a window”came Clint’s voice and immediately, Johann slid back as Natasha settled behind the handlebar, starting the engine“4, 3-”—The door opened and gushes of wind flew in—“-Give him hell”

Johann tried not to put too much strength in his grip around the redhead as Natasha gave a harsh start and he hung on her for the few second of falling and the fast speed Nat reached.

“You know what they say in France about female drivers? _Femme au volant, mort au tournant_ ”said Johann as Natasha weaved between cars.

Natasha gave a harsh weave and he yelped.

“ _Tu sais que je te comprends”_ drawled Natasha“Eyes up”

Looking ahead, Johann saw Steve’s shield on the road.

“I'm always picking up after you boys”drawled the Russian woman while Johann bent on one side and picked up the shield.

“They're heading under the overpass, I've got no shot”came Clint’s voice in their ears as Johann handed the shield to Natasha who put it in front of the bike.

“Which way?”

“Hard right...”answered Clint as Nat sped up“…Now”

They cut somebody up as they turned and got honked.

“Sorry for trying to save the world”muttered Johann, making Natasha huff a laugh as she took Clint’s shortcut.

Once they got out of the pedestrian area, they came out on the road where they saw Steve being grabbed around the throat and lifted by Ultron while the robot held an angry Harry at arm point. Natasha sped up and Johann inhaled sharply as Natasha drifted the bike right under the truck so that they may be side by side. Johann saw Steve’s eyes flickered down to them and he held up his arm. Johann threw the shield at Steve who activated the electromagnets in his gauntlet then punched Ultron in the face with the shield as Harry cast an _Accio_ on Steve to pull him up followed by a _Trip Jinx_ at Ultron, who fell. When Ultron saw the two of them on the bike, he extended a hand ahead and raised his fist, bringing a part of the road off the ground. Johann held his breath as Natasha slammed on the brake—doing a wheelie on the front wheel— pivoted the bike before hitting the gas.

“I’m way too old for this”mumbled Johann to himself.

Natasha suddenly swerved on the left to dodge the shots the Ultron Sentries were firing at them, driving on the pavement then up a stair—Which he cringed at the shaking and bumping on a specified part of his body.

“Out of the way! Coming through!”shouted Natasha to the pedestrians“Sorry, coming through!”

They drove past the truck and Johann watched as Steve was blasted away into a car, Harry transformed into smoke just as Ultron destroyed the road. Harry barely had the time to wrap his smoky form around Steve, as the cars crashed, and fly back to Ultron, spitting the blond right onto the robot.

“Clint! Can you draw out the guards?”asked Natasha as she weaved throught the pedestrians.

“Let's find out”replied the archer.

“Beep beep!”said Natasha, prompting a couple to step away and he raised an eyebrow.

Natasha veered and took the road in the wrong way before, after some moment, veering again, the truck right in front of them.

“They're heading back towards you”Clint said through the comm.“So whatever you're going to do, do it now”

“We’re going in Cap, can you keep him occupied?”asked Natasha.

“What do you think Harry and I have been doing?”growled Steve, the sound of a scuffle in the background.

Johann snorted.

“I’ll drive as close as I can get”informed Natasha“You’ll have to jump us into the back”

Johann nodded and Natasha sped up. Taking a deep breath, Johann crouched and brought his legs under him. Slowly, carefully, he started standing, balancing on the small space of the seat. When Natasha thought she had approached the bike close enough, she stood up quickly and Johann carried her in his arms. He leant near the handlebars before jumping—and falling— inside the box while behind them the bike crashed into something. Natasha helped him up before both their head turned to the glowing Cradle and checked inside through the glass. Johann stared at the humanoid form before tapping the monitor on the Cradle.

“86 per cent complete”said Johann“Maybe not everything is lost”

Natasha nodded.

“Only if Ultron doesn’t gets his hands on it”

Johann heard something and turned his head before grabbing Natasha’s arm and pulling her back as he saw two robots flying toward them. They flew past them before the truck shook. Natasha went to the monitor and started tapping it. The box shook again before they sensed something had shifted. Natasha lost her footing and it was only thanks to his quick reflexes and his strength they weren’t both thrown overboard. He first grabbed her around the waist before driving his fingers through the metal of the box and holding on.

“We need to get to the Cradle”said Natasha as she passed her arms around his neck.

Emitting a growl, Johann released her and started crawling them both it. He pushed her up to one of the ropes holding the Cradle so that she could grab onto it.

“Now what?”

“Do you trust me?”asked Natasha.

Johann gave her a look.

“Do I look like I have a choice?”

“Not really”—Natasha helped herself up by leaning mostly on the Cradle—“Get on the thing, I have an idea”

Johann nodded and obeyed.

“Okay, package is airborne”they heard Clint say“I have a clean shot”

“Negative”ordered Natasha“Schmidt and I are still in the truck”

“What the hell are you…?!”

“Just be ready, I'm sending the package to you”said Natasha

“How do you want me to take it?”

“Uhh, you might wish you hadn't asked that”admitted Natasha as she eyed Johann—whose eyes had widened as he understood what this implied— and cut one of the rope.

“Oh no…”

 

—

 

Harry snarled as he cast a powerful _Reducto_ that Ultron dodged before firing at him. Steve moved in front of him, his shield up to protect him. The lasers rebounded on Captain America’s shield and Harry smoked his way toward Ultron, his upper body still tangible and a spell on his tongue but was grabbed around the throat by the robot, his grip tight. Ultron was forced to let Harry go as Steve charged him up back against a broken wall of the train. Snarling, Ultron grabbed the shield and spun the two of them so that Steve was the cornered one and started to beat the blond up, sending a nasty hook in the super soldier’s side. Breathing heavily, Harry went to cast a spell at the Psycho AI only to see a silvery blur ran past him and charge at Ultron.

‘ _What?!’_

That was Maximoff! Why was Pietro attacking Ultron? Ultron seemed as surprised as he was, walking up to the silver haired man only to have his way blocked by rails enveloped in a red mist. Harry turned around and found Wanda Maximoff by the threshold of the carriage, hands glowing red.

“Please, don't do this”said Ultron, his eyes strained on Wanda.

“What choice do we have?”asked the brunette woman.

If betrayal was something a machine could feel, Harry was sure it was what Ultron was feeling. His ‘face’ hardened and he turned back to Pietro and fired. Of course the man was quick enough to dodge but the lasers went through all the front carriages before the robot flew away.  
“Ultron is on the loose!”shouted Harry into the comm. as he and Steve ran up to the driving carriage

“And he's heading your way!”added Steve as they arrived at the front carriage.

The driver was slumped on his control board, blood covering his side.

“Steve…”called Hary softly.

The blond raised his head and stared at the end barrier they were approaching fast.

“Shit”swore both men.

 

—

 

“Are you sure this will work?”asked Johann, a bit wary as he sat on the Cradle

“You want in theory or in practice?”

“How is that supposed to answer me?!”

“Nat, we gotta go”said urgently Clint.

Natasha nodded as she took a bomb from her belt, activated it before cutting the last rope. Johann started when the Cradle moved backward and immediately extended his hand toward Natasha so that she could grab it and get on the Cradle.

“Hang on your life”advised Natasha as they felt themselves start falling.

It just lasted for, maybe, a couple of seconds and during all of this seconds he felt both wary and excited. But not for long. Thrusters were heard before the metallic face of Ultron appeared. He grabbed Natasha by her ankle and pulled her to him.

“Nat!”shouted Clint.

He had acted before he even knew what he was doing. The Cradle still a bit airborne, he had stood up, taken a step then another before he had thrown himself at Ultron while the bastard was still close. His legs ensnared Ultron’s waist while his arms went around his head, trying to wrench it off. He felt the robot growl as he activated the secret blade in one of his gloves and went to knife the robot in the neck, severing cables. Ultron let out a roar and held a hand toward him, laser fingers aimed right at him and his eyes widened. Lasers fired and pain shot in his shoulder and arm as he ducked as best as he could, losing his grip on the robot’s waist on the way and started falling.

 

—

 

“Schmidt is falling and Ultron has Natasha”

Harry’s blood ran cold as Clint delivered his message. Harry looked at Steve then the end barrier then Steve again.

“Go get him”ordered the blond“I’ll manage here, don’t worry”

Nodding quickly, Harry’s body turned smoky and Steve watched as the wizard took off as fast as he could. Just as Harry left, the train hit the end barrier and was now out-of tracks.

“Cap, you see Nat?!”asked Clint, almost frantic.

“If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!”ordered Steve.

“Do you have eyes on Nat?!”

“I said go!”

Steve breathed heavily before turning to the twins still here with him.

‘ _If they’re here, better make use of them’_

Looking at Pietro, Steve pointed behind him.

“Civilians in our path”—The man didn’t need to be told twice and ran out to move the civilians away from harm while Steve eyed Wanda—“Can you stop this thing?”—The girl stared at him, a bit lost before nodding—“Then get to it, now”

 

—

 

Freefalling was a weird sensation. He had been in gravity zero before and it was entirely different that freefalling. At least in gravity zero, he had a sense of floating or flying, in freefalling, he was just falling. And his shoulder and arm were killing him, the wounds oozing blood. Hopefully, he won’t have to worry about that once he’s a red pulp on the concrete. This was one of the reasons he was a villain, he just had to worry about him, himself and his stuffsn nothing more nothing less. Maybe he’ll learn something from it………Or not, he didn’t feel like it.

‘ _If I ever survive this, I’ll need to remind myself to had a parachute or a wingsuit to my next suit, could be useful’_ thought idly Johann.

The ground was getting closer now and he just wished it would end quickly.

‘ _Hope the severing of the bond won’t hurt Rogers or Harry too much’_

Just as he thought that, something black and hard tackled him in mid-air before he was securely enveloped in a black screen and a mouth was on his, kissing away his breath.

“You do know you’re an idiot, Schmidt!”hissed a voice after his lips were released.

Johann smirked and stared into Harry’s glowing eyes.

“Took you long enough”

“Be glad we’re pressed together because I’m itching to punch you”

Johann huffed a laugh as he felt them flying rapidly.

“One trouble solved, now we need to stop the train”

“The train?”asked Johann and he felt Harry nod against his neck.

“Ultron’s parting gift”replied the wizard, quickening their flight.

Through the smoke enveloping them, Johann could see clearly what was happening as they followed the ravage the train had caused.

“It won’t slow down”growled Harry before slithering inside the train, to the front carriage.

Since he was little depleted magically, his landing wasn’t graceful. He and Johann stumbled onto the floor before Harry forced himself up and found Steve protecting as much as he could with his shield and Wanda struggling to slow the train. Inhaling sharply, Harry placed his hand on two opposite seats and concentrated.

“ _ARESTO MOMENTUM!_ ”

His spell started on the first carriage then slowly moved back. Now that he had relieved some burden off of Wanda shoulders, she appeared to be less struggling to slow the train down and with both their power combined, they managed to stop the train completely. When it finally stopped, Harry gasped, blood pouring from his nose from the Magic Depletion, exertion and his limbs were trembling. He would have fallen onto the floor if it weren’t for Johann quick moving behind him, lowering him and taking him in his arm while waiting for him to recover. The civilians in the train exited the wreck as Steve came to them.

“Harry? Are you…?”

“‘M fine”wheezed Harry“‘M just a bit depleted on magic, gimmie a few moment”

Steve nodded and looked at a tired and battered Johann, noticing the blood on his shoulder down to his fingers.

“We’ll have to look at this”said the blond.

“I agree, I’ll even be nice and calm for it”

Steve snorted, gently taking Harry in his arms and walking out of the wreckage.

“Where are the Mutants?”asked lowly Johann.

Steve started and looked widely around, finding them by a pole as Pietro was catching his breath. Sharing a look with Johann, they both walked toward them.

“I'm fine”wheezed the silver-haired man to his sister“I just need to take a minute”

“I'm very tempted not to give you one”drawled Steve, making them jump.

“The Cradle, did you get it?”

Johann nodded.

“ _Ja, ja_ , must have already arrived as we’re talking”answered Johann“ Stark will know what to do with it”

Wanda stared at them, as if scared or maybe as if they were idiots.

“No, he won't”said the brunette.

“If I were you”drawled Harry from Steve’s arms“I’ll weight my words very carefully about Tony”

Wanda shook her head.

“Tony Stark will do anything to make things right”

Harry opened his mouth only to close it with a snap. She was right. A shared look—and a quick bond conversation— had them thinking. Silently, Steve handed Harry to Johann before putting a hand to his earpiece.

“ _Der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert_ ”muttered to himself Johann

“Stark, come in”—Silence—“Stark?”—Silence again and Steve bowed his head in defeat—“Anyone on comms?”

Something heavy settled in all of their stomach.

“Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it”said Wanda“Where do you think he gets that?”

Harry frowned as he looked down. Wanda was right on every point even if he loathed to admit it.

“Johann, set me down”ordered Harry.

Johann bit his lips, waited a beat before complying. Harry stumbled at first before he could stand with no help. Harry breathed in then out—blood still dripping from his nose— and closed his eyes, assessing his magical level.

“Nobody will be picking us?”asked Harry

“I don’t think so”answered his blond husband and Harry nodded slowly, his gaze turning to Wanda then Pietro.

“I have one question for you”began the wizard“Are you coming or are you staying?”

Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, seemingly having an unsaid conversation before turning back to Harry.

“We are coming”

“If I take you with me to the Tower, can you promise me not to kill or maim at my teammates, even if they are begging for it?”

They both nodded after a beat and Harry smirked.

“Then prepare yourself, we’re leaving right now”

“How? You do not have anything”said Pietro.

Harry’s smirk was all teeth as he used the last remnant of his magic.

“Just grab onto my tail”replied the wizard, feeling himself shift into Plume, his Phoenix Animagus.

 

—

 

Harry was only able to teleport them all to the first floor of the Tower before his body reacted badly to the overuse of magic. Steve was carrying his heavily-breathing husband while Johann was holding a handkerchief to Harry’s nose and wiping away the blood left on the raven’s lips after he had puked bile and blood.

“I really hope Stark isn’t doing what I think he is”growled Johann as they waited in the elevator“It’s was bad enough the first time, I fear what he’ll do next”

“You and me both”said Steve.

The elevator dinged and quickly the group exited it before marching up to the lab.

“…-tic coding tower is at 97 per cent”they heard Bruce said and Steve’s face darkened as he passed Harry to Johann“You have got to upload that schematic in the next three minutes”

Making sure he was heard by the two scientists, Steve’s next step was heavy and menacing.

“I'm gonna say this once”said gravely Steve.

“How about ‘n-once’?”sassed Tony, staring up defiantly at the blond.

Steve’s glare hardened.

“Shut it down”

“Nope, not gonna happen”Tony raised his chin defiantly as he walked to a machine.

“Stark, Banner, you are making the same mistake you did days ago!”growled Johann, putting Harry down and more than supported him“Haven’t you learn already?!”

“And you haven’t?”asked Bruce in a dark voice that didn’t resemble him as he eyed Wanda“She's not in your head?”

“I know you're angry”said carefully Wanda

“No, we're way past that”growled Bruce“I could choke the life out of you and never change a shade…”

Harry could understand why Bruce was reacting this way, because sweet, shy and lovable Bruce has been used, mind-controlled as a diversion and innocent people paid the heavy price. If it had happened to him, he would have AK’d the people responsible, fuck that it would send him right into Azkaban.

“Banner, after everything that's happened…”reasoned calmly yet strongly Steve.

“That's nothing compared to what's coming!”cut Tony angrily.

“Tony!”heads turned to Harry— with blood still pouring from his nose and mouth—at the sound of his raspy voice“What you’re trying to do is folly, I’ve seen what this…Gem can do, and you can’t control it”

“Seen? Are you sure she’s not in your head?”growled Bruce.

“You don't know what's in there!”

“Stark stop being an idiot and think!”

“This isn't a game”

“The creature…”

Pietro rolled his eyes and moved around the room unplugging cables—and making sparks fly—before stopping by Bruce.

“No, no, go on, you were saying?”

There was a gunshot and Pietro stared curiously at the bullet going up in front of his face before the glass beneath his feet broke. He didn’t even touch the ground he was grabbed around the throat by something cold and hard and pushed against a wall. Opening his eyes he saw the metal-armed man and the archer behind him.

“What? You didn't see that coming?”asked the archer“Can you handle him?”

“Yeah, go help the others”growled Bucky and Clint nodded, going up—grabbing a gun on his way.

Above them, machine beeped signalling there was a problem.

“I'm re-routing the upload.”said Tony, going to a machine.

Johann saw Steve snarl from the corner of his eyes and immediately grabbed Harry around the waist and carried him somewhere safe as Steve threw his shield at the machine then Tony blasted him away.

“Go ahead, piss me off”Johann heard Bruce growl as he grabbed Wanda from behind.

Johann hid Harry and himself behind a machine and the German man had to tighten his hold on a struggling Harry

“Jo, we should get back in here!”gasped Harry before coughing up blood.

“Fuck no! I’m not getting back in here while there’s a Civil War in the room!”

Just as he said that, a blast from Tony’s thruster flew above his head. Just as it happened, Harry wrenched himself free of his husband and ran into the room.

“HARRY STOP!”

Harry ignored Johann as he took out his wand—even if he knew he barely had any magic left in him— and pointed it at the Cradle as the sound of a charging thruster was heard beside his ear. Holding his breath, Harry waited, not looking at Tony.

“Harry, don’t make me do this”warned Tony, carefully and sadly.

Harry felt Steve’s and Johann’s anger inside him, pulsing in his own body as if his. Glancing slowly at the genius, Harry settled his eyes back on the Cradle.

“ _REDU-_ ”

Tony fired at his chest, blasting him through one of the windows and Steve and Johann roared, charging at the genius. Right before they could land a hit, Tony activated his Unibeam, blasting the two super soldiers—and inadvertently himself— away. Harry groaned as he stood up—and thanked a hundred time his dragonhide clothes— before picking up his wand and limping in front of the Cradle just as Thor burst from one of the windows, jumped on it and raised his hammer.

“Wait!”shouted Bruce as Thor sent electricity into the Cradle.

The machines beeped again, in energy overload this time, then stopped altogether as Thor stopped his lightening. There was heavy silence before the Cradle exploded, propelling Thor away while the others protected themselves from glass and metal pieces and a humanoid form jumped out. Since he was standing before the Cradle, Harry had a rather good view on the being, taking in his pinkish red skin blending in with metallic pieces, his baldness and nakedness. The male being—because yes, that package was definitely male’s— raised his head as he stood up and Harry stared into honest to Merlin turquoise eyes. The being watched them closely and one at the time before his eyes settled on Thor. Without warning, the being threw himself at the blond God and the blond God threw the being away, through a window. Harry’s eyes widened when he noticed Thor had thrown the being into the living room, toward the windows.

‘ _If it gets out…!’_

Ignoring the pain his body was in, Harry’s body turned to smoke and followed the red skinned being but he was still magically depleted so he was barely able to fly more than six foot before his form slithered down and slumped on the ground, his smoky form disappearing slowly. Two thuds sounded behind him before Johann helped him up and Steve looked ready to fight but Thor arriving in front of him and shaking his head ‘no’ stopped him. Soon, all the Avengers were in the room, waiting, observing the floating being as it seemed to be……Watching the view. After what seemed to be the longest minutes of their lives, the being turned and floated toward them, clothes appearing on his body. Thor set his hammer down on a table and walked to the being as it lowered itself to the ground.

“I'm sorry”said the being as he landed, his voice familiar“That was……odd”—The being stared at Thor and inclined his head—“Thank you”

There was a silence and the Avengers watched as a yellow cape synthetized itself on the being, in a copy of Thor’s own.

“Thor, you helped create this?”said Steve, tone accusing.

“I've had a vision”explained Thor“A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at it's centre is that”—Thor pointed at the yellow dot on the being’s forehead.

_“The Mind Stone, Master, a Stone amongst Six others”_

Harry groaned inaudibly, shaking his head slightly

“What? The gem?”asked Bruce.

“The Mind Stone”rasped Harry and eyes settled on him.

“How do you know of it?”asked Thor

Harry opened then closed his mouth.

“I don’t know”

The being tilted his head curiously at him.

“Master of Death, Saviour of the Wizarding World, The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived Twice, The Defeater of You-Know-Who”—Harry stared at the being, his eyes widening with each title—“Harry Potter”

“How do you now my name?”asked Harry, a bit pale.

“It was told to me…She told me”The being added the last sentence after a beat.

“She?”asked Wanda

“Death”—The being looked away, as if in a trance—“……She wants to talk to you”

Harry sucking in a breath, slowly extracting himself from Johann’s grip.

“Death talked to you”said Harry“What does She want?”

“I do not know, you will have to talk to Her to know”said the being“I just know it’s about the Infinity Stones”

“Infinity Stones?”asked Tony.

“The greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities”informed Thor.

While Thor had been talking, Harry got rapid images of colourful stones, destruction and a sadistic smirk in his head and he grabbed it while whimpering. Johann was immediately at his side.

“Why would you bring-”asked Steve.

“Because Stark is right”cut Thor as the being moved beside him, toward Harry.

“Oh, it's definitely the end times”commented Bruce.

“The Avengers cannot defeat Ultron”said Thor“Not alone”

The being was walking toward Harry and Johann emitted a growl before activating the mechanism of his hidden blades up in his gloves and stood in front of the being, blocking its way.

“Back off”ordered the brunet.

“I just want to help him”soothed the being.

“Let him”said Harry while Johann looked to argue“Jo, please, let him”

Snarling and growling, Johann reluctantly stepped sideway, allowing the being to continue approach his husband. Harry looked up at the being and found his vision had changed—Some people close to him gasped at his eyes, Johann having told him, earlier, they were pitch black— and he couldn’t help the gasp that escaped his lips. Some of the Avengers glowed white while some glowed a whitish green, a whitish navy blue, a whitish red, a glowing yellow or dark red. But this being in front of him, he glowed like an ever-changing gradient of colours with some black spot hinting at the metal parts. A hand was extended in front of him before it landed softly on his forehead. Something warm filled him to his very core and he emitted a pleased sigh as his eyes closed before the hand left his forehead and his eyes opened—his vision normal.

“What did you do?”asked softly Harry

“I replenished your magical core”answered the being“Death asked me to do it”

Harry huffed a laugh softly.

“Thank you”

“You should be careful when your magic is depleted”chided softly the being.

The tone the being had used reminded him so much of JARVIS and Harry felt a pang in his heart knowing the AI was dead.

“Your voice……”—Harry smiled sadly—“It reminds me of a lost friend…JARVIS”

“It’s him”said Tony“It’s JARVIS”

“What?”asked Johann

“How did you make your ‘vision’ sound like him?”asked Steve

“We reconfigured JARVIS's matrix to create something new”answered Tony

“I think I've had my fill of new”remarked Steve as the being turned to him calmly

“You think I'm a child of Ultron?”

“And you think you’re not?”growled Johann, glaring at the humanoid.

“I'm not Ultron”replied the being“I'm not JARVIS”—Harry gasped silently, eyeing warily Tony, whose face broke before a mask of indifference hid it—“I am…I am”

Harry stared at the being, feeling a bit compassionate.

“I looked in your head and saw annihilation”said Wanda, approaching the humanoid.

“Look again”said the being.

Clint snorted.

“Yeah her seal of approval means jack to me”

“Their enhanced powers”came Thor’s voice“The horrors in our heads, Ultron himself…They all came from the Mind Stone, and they're nothing compared to what it can unleash…But with it on our side…”

“Can we really say h-i- that thing is on our side?”asked Johann.

Silence as all gaze settled on the being.

“I don't think it's that simple”answered the humanoid.

“Well it better get real simple real soon”growled warningly the archer.

“I'm on the side of life”replied the being“Ultron isn't, he will end it all”

“What's he waiting for?”asked Tony

“You”

“Where?”asked Bruce

“Sokovia, he's got Nat there too”informed Clint

Bruce finally found the courage to approach the being he had created

“If we're wrong about you…”said the scientist“…If you're the monster that Ultron made you to be…What will you do?”

‘ _The One Million Dollard question’_ drawled internally Johann.

A heavy silence settled.

“I don't want to kill Ultron”answered the being“He's unique, and he's in pain”

“Then it would be better if we put an end to it, don’t you think?”drawled Bucky.

The being gave a slow nod, walking toward the table Mjolnir sat upon.

“I agree, his pain will roll over the earth, so he must be destroyed, every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the 'net, we have to act now…”—He turned toward them—“And not one of us can do it without the others”—The being raised his hands, contemplating them—“Maybe I am a monster, I don't think I'd know if I were one, I'm not what you are”—The being turned his back to them, his eyes on Mjolnir and his hand on the handle—“And not what you intended…So there may be no way to make you trust me, but we need to go”

The being was holding Mjolnir out to Thor. Harry was gawking, like—he was sure of it— most of the Avengers. While all of them had trouble just shifting the hammer, this being was able to lift it. With no trouble. Thor took Mjolnir back and the being walked away, his steps echoing in the loud silence of the Tower.

“Well, at least we’re fixed now”drawled Johann as Thor nodded while smiling.

“Well done”—Thor tapped Tony’s shoulder then walked away following the being.

“Three minutes”said Steve, breaking the silence“Get what you need”  


—

 

“We need to settle on a name for him”said Bucky

“Who him?”asked Pietro

Bucky pointed behind him to the being who was talking to Thor outside.

“Bucky, he’s not a puppy, you can’t just name him”said Tony

“We’re gonna have to, we can’t just call him ‘he’ of ‘it’”retorted Bucky.

“How about _H.U.R.E_?”suggested sarcastically Johann“Human Ultron Ready to Eradicate?”

Bucky and Tony glared at him while Harry rolled his eyes.

“This is whom I chose to marry, Merlin help me”drawled the wizard.

Bucky and Tony argued on what to call the being for a moment before a voice broke through.

“Vision”

Heads turned to Wanda.

“Vision?”repeated Bucky and Tony.

Wanda nodded slowly.

“I saw him through Ultron’s vision, and…Thor had a vision about him too…I think it fits”

Harry eyed the woman that had been his enemy once and tilted his head. Tony and Bucky shook their head at her, saying it wasn’t a good name.

“I agree”cut Harry, using his ‘parent’ voice as he walked up to Wanda“It’s a nice name”—Harry gave a smile he hoped wasn’t too forced and turned toward the being still talking to Thor outside—“I think you should tell him”—Wanda opened and closed her mouth while shaking her head vehemently—“You’re the one who came up with it, it would be nice for him, make him feel at ease with us”

Wanda closed her mouth before nodding slowly then walking toward the be-Vision—Harry hope he would accept this name. Harry observed her go with a smile before turning his head……And finding Johann’s frowning face two inches away from his.

“What do you think you’re doing?”asked the sapphire-eyed, his eyes narrowed and his tone indicating he had caught onto what he did.

Harry looked away innocently.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Jo”replied Harry with a smile before pecking Johann on the lips quickly.

“So I wasn’t witnessing you trying to play matchmaker, was I?”

“Me? I wouldn’t dare!”fake gasped Harry before slapping Johann on the shoulder“How dare you!”

“What are you two talking about?”deadpanned Steve

“Nothing”Harry gave Steve his most dashing smile before pecking the blond on the mouth and walking away hastily.

Steve watched him go, surprised, before eyeing Johann for some answers.

 _“Just Harry playing matchmaker”_ Johann sent through their bond.

“ _With whom?”_

Before Johann could answer, Wanda walked back inside, a small pleased blush on her cheeks before walking away just as Tony and Bruce arrived to talk to Steve concerning what the being said earlier, on eradicating Ultron completely.

“No way we all get through this”commented Tony“If even one tin soldier is left standing, we've lost, there's gonna be blood on the floor.

“I’m willingly to cancel my dinner date for tomorrow night”joked Steve and Johann snorted.

“Don’t let Harry hear you”drawled amusedly the brunet.

“I get first crack at the big guy, Iron Man's the one he's waiting for”

“That's true, he hates you the most”supplied helpfully the being as he passed by them“Also, Wanda gave me a name”

“And it is?”asked Bruce

“Vision”replied Vision, a small smile at his lips.

Steve stared at Vision then remembered Wada’s smile and blush and Johann supplied helpfully a mental image of a light bulb.

“ _Harry is playing matchmaker with them?!”_ said Steve through the bond and Johann gave him a look.

“ _I think he is”_

Steve groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.

“What has gotten to him?”asked Pietro, seeing what Steve did.

“Guy must be in a conversation with his hubbies”replied Tony

“Conversation/Hubbies?”repeated Pietro and Wanda.

Tony nodded widely.

“Yup! It’s not public knowledge but our dear Captain America is married and already daddy, twice”—Tony got a pensive look—“Maybe four time, do people count in birth or children?”

“Shut up, Stark”drawled Johann.

“And this grumpy head”—Tony pointed at Johann—“Which you may know as Red Skull”—Johann glared at the genius—“Or Johann Schmidt is married to Captain America and Harry Potter”

“Correction Tony”came Harry’s voice as the wizard walked to the group“We’re bonded”

“Bonded?”asked Wanda and Harry nodded.

“It’s a wizard thing”supplied hepfuly Tony and Harry glared at him.

“A bond is like marriage but…It’s deeper than that, I can share my thoughts, feelings and emotions to my two bonded”answered Harry“And they can share theirs too between me and each others if they concentrate hard enough, something that can’t be done in a simple marriage”

“Wizard? Wizards are real?!”said Pietro

“Of course they are”

“And next thing you tell me is that Unicorns and Dragons do too”

“Of course they do and let me tell you, Dragons are nasty bastards, I know I got chased by one and even rode one”

Pietro opened then closed his mouth as he stared at Harry. The wizard gave a grin before he went to Steve.

“Now that everyone is here, we should go”said Clint, making his way to the Avenjet.

 

—

 

Everybody was a bit tense in the plane. Steve stared at each of them before standing from his seat and going in the middle of the plane.

“Ultron knows we're coming”began Steve and heads turned toward him“Odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire, and that's what we signed up for…But the people of Sokovia, they didn't”—Steve eyed Pietro who was looking away—“…So, once we land, our priority is getting them out, all they want is to live their lives in peace, and that's not going to happen today, but we can do our best to protect them, and we can get the job done”—Steve paused, staring at all of them pointedly—“Our priority is this, we find out what Ultron's been building, we find Romanoff and we clear the field, keep the fight between us and us only”—The blond super soldier looked away, paused before continuing—“Ultron thinks we're monsters, that we're what's wrong with the world, this isn't just about beating him, it's about whether he's right”

Harry inhaled then exhaled loudly.

“I think we’re all monsters here”said calmly the wizard, using the same solemn tone Steve used“But I don’t think we’re what’s wrong in the world, I think what makes us real monsters or not is the ability to choose whether to do good or bad”

“And then again, what’s better than monsters to hunt down other monsters?”added Johann slowly, after Harry paused.

Some of the Avengers had to nod at that.

“We’re approaching Sokovia”said Bucky from the pilot seat and Steve nodded.

“Thor, Bruce, you will go inside the Castle and try to find Natasha and what has been planning Ultron, the rest of us will evacuate the city”

Thor and Bruce nodded and Steve turned to nod at Bucky. The longhaired brunet pushed some buttons and the door of the Avenjet opened, letting in gushes of air. Thor and Bruce advanced toward the door and the blond God passed an arm around the scientist’s waist then twirled his hammer before flying the two of them out. The door closed and Bucky flew the rest of the team towards the city, landing the plane by the outskirt of it. The doors of the Avenjet opened again and the Avengers got out.

“Let’s split”said Clint as they made their way inside“It would cover more area”

Some of the Avengers nodded and parted ways to go warn the people and coax them into leaving. Each Avenger had their own way to make the citizens leave and his was simply to send his Patronus and have the curious persons follow it. Johann had decided to accompany him and warn the people Harry’s Patronus didn’t seem to interest.

“Jo?”asked Harry after a moment.

“Mmh?”

“Why do you have weapons with you?”

Johann shrugged, he didn’t remember which weapons he had taken with him along with an assault rifle he was holding in one hand.

“Just in case”

“In case of what? This is a simple Evac. mission”

Just as he was about to answer, Pietro suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Sorry, can I take that? Thank you!”Pietro ran off—having said his sentence quickly— with the rifle Johann had been holding.

Johann blinked blasé-edly at his now empty hand, opening and closing it before exhaling soundly, his hands on his hips.

“I hate this kid”

Harry laughed at him and sent Prongs away to warn more civilians. They worked for hours, coaxing civilians to leave when it started. There was a rumble before cracks appeared and Ultron Sentries popped out from the ground. A woman screamed as a robot charged at her and Harry acted, casting a _Repulso_ followed by a _Confrigo_ at the robot, destroying it. More robots appeared and Harry put his wand at his throat, casting a _Sonorus_ and a _Translating Charm_.

“EVACUATE THE CITY AT ONCE! THIS IS NOT AN EXERCICE! I REPEAT, EVACUATE THE CITY!”said Harry in Sokovian.

Sentries flew at the wizard and a gunshot resonated before the sentries fell to the ground, deactivated. Harry turned to the source of the noise and found Johann holding a gun.

“Just in case, _Süßer_ ”said Johann with a smirk—and Harry gave him a dark glare— before firing at more sentries that were attacking the civilians.

Behind them, an explosion occurred and Harry turned to the crumbling house. Harry’s vision changed and he saw two white dots in the house

“Cover me”ordered Harry before changing form and flying to the collapsing building.

“How am I supposed to cover you if nothing can go through you?”drawled Johann and, without looking, aiming right behind him then firing at a sentry that tried to sneak on him.

The German man fired at any sentries that dared to attack civilians or the house Harry was currently in. A black smoke suddenly exited the house before Harry, an elder man and woman appeared. The man and woman thanked him before they making their way hastily out of the town. Another explosion occurred and Harry stared determinedly albeit sadly at it.

“I hate rescue”said Harry as he and Johann made their way to the explosion—and helped any civilians on their way—“Not because I have to help but because I can’t save everyone”

Johann stared at him.

“Then think about all the lives you can save and I’ll think about the lives you want to save”

Harry smiled at his husband before pecking him quickly on the lips and going back to help the civilians. Suddenly, the ground started shaking and cracking before them. Harry raised his head and found people running toward them…And the crack.

‘ _Oh no’_

“STOP!”shouted the wizard.

Just as he said this, the ground shattered and a gapping crevasse appeared. Harry watched as some people halted too late and fell while some hanged on their life to the edge. Breaking into a sprint, Harry transformed into Plume when he jumped over the crevasse and flew toward one man hanging on him life, grabbing him and taking him to the opposite edge, doing the same with the other civillians. Johann cursed as he saw the ground before him seemed to go up. Putting away his guns, he took some steps back before running at full speed toward the crevasse, jumped over it then taking out two knives from his waist, he drove them into the ground of the other side.

“I really hope this will be over soon”growled Johann before he started climbing up by driving his knives into the ground.

Harry helped as many people as he could but when he saw he wouldn’t be able to transport all of them to safety, he urged the people still behind him to go find somewhere safe to hide for the moment. Harry heard a groan and turned around and found a hand raised by the edge of the crevasse.

“Please, there’s no need to help me”

Harry immediately ran to Johann and pulled him up.

“We have to find the others”said the wizard.

Johann nodded and Harry circled his waist with one arm before they turned to smoke and flew away. Harry watched at the town raised up in the air, a weight in his stomach as he saw little dots fall from the edge and meet their end on the ground.

“Harry…”—Harry stared into Johann’s eyes—“…We’ll save as many people as we can, do not, I repeat, do not think it will be your fault if not all of the civilians can be saved, you tried your best to save them and that’s more important”

Harry swallowed before giving a slow nod. Johann looked down at the town and saw a blue spot.

“Harry get down”said Johann and Harry flew them down, landing behind Steve.

“Steve”called Harry as their shapes turned solid.

The blond turned to them and joined them.

“Are you alright?”asked the blond when he had joined them.

Harry bit his lips before starring down and felt his vision shift. The wizard saw white dots, some speckled black, slowly shift to black as they fell or died from their wounds.

“Harry?”called Steve softly, seeing his bonded’s eyes.

“Do you see the beauty of it? The inevitability?”Ultron’s voice reached them all through the sentries around the city“You rise, only to fall, you, Avengers, you are my meteor, my swift and terrible sword and the Earth will crack with the weight of your failure, purge me from your computers, turn my own flesh against me, it means nothing! When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal”

Harry snarled and transformed into smoke before flying close to the edge, helping any person that had fallen or might fall.

“Harry!”called Steve, watching the black form move like a snake and turned his head when he heard a sad sigh.

“There are days when I like being a villain”said Johann as he watched Harry go.

“Why is that?”asked Steve, giving a dark look at Red Skull.

“I don’t have to worry about the death toll”replied calmly Johann, looking sad for a moment and Steve was taken aback for a moment.

Johann eyed something above the blond’s shoulder and his eyes widened before he took out one of his guns and fired at an incoming sentry.

“Maybe we should go back to rescuing”said Johann slowly.

“Agreed”replied Steve as he took off his shield from his back and strapped it to his arm.

Sharing a look, Steve charged at the sentries while Johann covered him, firing at any sentries that came too close to his liking. He emptied his cartridges quickly and went to re-load. Just as he re-loaded, a sentry flew at Steve and propelled him against a car.

“I thought you’d cover me!”growled Steve.

“I was re-loading, I can’t multitask!”shouted Johann, firing without looking at a sentry on his left.

“Cap, you got incoming” piped helpfully Tony in their comm.

Johann held back a snort as he heard Steve roll his eyes.

“Incoming already came in”drawled Steve, raising himself up with trouble while a building’s windows exploded behind the blond before he activated his earpiece“Stark, you worry about bringing the city back down safely, the rest of us have one job: tear these things apart, you get hurt, hurt 'em back, you get killed, walk it off”

“That I can do”Harry’s voice was heard before static filled their ears, signalling Harry was using his magic.

“And I hope you won’t”growled Johann to no one before firing more EMP bullets at sentries.

A cry from the bridge drew their attention. A woman’s cry inside a car that was standing at the edge of the broken bridge and looked ready to fall at any moment. Both super soldiers looked at each other before Johann nodded and put his guns away while the blond ran toward the red cabriolet the woman was stuck in—And, internally, Johann cursed Humanity’s stupidity.

‘ _Why can’t she just undo her belt and get the hell out?!’_ thought Johann, exasperated, as he jumped on the car—jostling and tipping it— while Steve went to grab the back bumper. The woman gaped at him as he undid her belt, picked her up bridal-style, and jumped on the headrest of the seats as the car tipped and fall, along with a deep-green one with also people stuck inside it. He put as much strength in his jump as he could to reach Rogers and barely made it to the top, it was only thanks to Rogers grabbing his collar by the front he didn’t fall.

“I got you”reassured Steve before looking at the redhead woman“We’ve got you”

“Don’t let me go”said Johann, looking warily over his shoulder to look down before looking at Rogers…And his eyes widened.

Steve didn’t need to ask, he let go of Johann’s collar to turn around and attack the Sentry that sneaked up on him. The woman in his arms screamed, clinging to him for dear life, and it was thanks to his quick reflexes—and the serum— he was able to stop them both from falling by grabbing into the jutting pole in the bridge while cursing Rogers to hell and back.

“ _Ich habe gesagt, nicht mich loszulassen! Und halt den Rand, Frau!”_ snarled Johann—prompting the woman to shut up— as he single-handedly climb the both of them up by grabbing onto any jutting pole he could grab onto as he climbed.

When he reached the top, he pushed gently the woman up before he too reached the top…And saw a sentry come at them.

“You can't save them all”said the sentry before a familiar red, white and blue shield embedded itself into its chest.

Johann stood up as the sentry ‘glared’ at Rogers—who was standing a few feet away from them— before Steve activated the electromagnet in his gauntlet and called the shield back to him, with a robot with it.  
“You'll never…”—Steve flung the sentry over the bridge and Johann watched as it fell down.

“‘You'll never’ what? You didn't finish!”replied darkly the blond.

Johann gave a weird look at the blond.

“Remind me not to _really_ piss you off”said Johann as a car landed loudly behind the blond and Thor landed on top of it.

The blond God jumped down the hood of the car and was soon joined by the two super soldiers.

“What, were you napping?”asked Steve as they returned to the battlefield.

 

—

 

Harry knew he was fighting a losing battle. He tried to save as many civilians as he could but felt like stopping a raging river with a simple stick for a dam. Snarling, Harry flew at a sentry, swirled around it angrily before enveloping it in his smoky form and frying wire pieces and circuits with his magic and doing the same to another robot.

‘ _Johann’s right, I may not be able to help every civilians, but I can do my best to save as much as I could’_

With renewed vigour, Harry flew down into the town and landed, black smoke swirling dangerously up in a column as sentries circled him. With a smirk, Harry took his solid form back and fired with extreme accuracy any kind of demolishing spells or exploding hexes he could think of. All the sentries around him exploded, were cut in half or were blasted off. Once he was finished with those sentries, he smoked away to find Bucky and see if he was alright. He found the longhaired brunet circled by some sentries as he pummelled one to the ground with his bionic arm. Flying down, Harry circled protectively around Bucky as a robot was about to shoot at him and took a physical form as he stood by the brunet. Both men were back-to-back as they glared around them.

“I count ten of them”said Bucky with a smirk“Bet I can take down more than you”

Harry smirked.

“Want you bet your arm on that?”

The sentries shot at them and Harry raised a protective and backlashing dome around them, smirking when a lot of the sentries were taken down.

“That’s cheating, Potter”said Bucky as Harry cancelled the dome and he jumped on a sentry, ripping off their head easily and sending the rest of the body at another.

“And it’s not cheating you have a bionic arm AND a super serum”drawled amusedly Harry.

“Nope!”replied Bucks, popping the last syllable as he dropkicked a sentry.

Harry chuckled and cast a _Confrigo_ at the last sentry.

“You’ll be okay on your own?”

Bucky gave an undignified snort.

“Please”drawled the brunet and Harry gave him a smirk.

“Don’t come crying if you can’t handle yourself, punk”replied Harry, before smoking away.

 

—

 

Thor, Steve and Johann went to lend Natasha a hand once they saw her fight a dozen or more of sentries. While Steve went after the sentries that fired at the Russian, Johann joined her, bodily throwing himself at a sentry, grabbing the upper body with his legs while headstanding and flinging it away as he stood.

“I have this under control”drawled Natasha, hitting a robot with her shocking baton.

Johann gave a smirk.

“Is that why everything is in ruin?”asked the German, ducking a sentry’s blow and ripping off the head with a punch.

More sentries approached them and Johann took out a gun.

“Taking the easy way, boy?”asked Natasha with a hint of challenge in her voice, doing a somersault over a sentry, landing on their back and shocking them with her batons.

Johann frowned at her, absent-mindedly ducking another punch before bending down to sweep the sentry and finishing them off with a punch in the head. Just as he did this, Natasha had already taken down two sentries at the same time. Exhaling angrily, Johann ran at the closest sentry and did a familiar move. A move that all and every Avengers recognised, having been at the receiving end of it in the training room—Yes! Even him!— The ‘Black Widow Move’. Again grabbing a sentry by the head with his legs, Johann twisted his body—minding to keep his hands off of the ground— and broke the upper part with his strength and flung the rest of the sentry away.

“I see you finally got it”said Natasha with a smug smile.

“Well, after all the time you used it on me, I had to pick it up”

“And seeing you getting your ass handed to you was worth waking up to train with her”piped Steve’s voice as the blond flung his shield up in the air with his foot and Thor hit it with his hammer, hitting a dozen of sentries in the face with it.

Johann growled.

“I think getting my ass handed was worth seeing _you_ being hit in the face by your own shield when you and Thor trained to get the hang what you just did!”retorted Johann, angrily punching a sentry a few yards away.

“Point for him, Steve”said helpfully Natasha.

Thor gave a good-hearted chuckle before throwing himself back into battle, hitting sentry after sentry, flinging one up in the air and hitting all of the sentries that came his way with Mjolnir while still being in mid-air, one of the sentries was even flung into a gasoline truck and fire erupted in a loud explosion.

“Hey! Watch out!”said Johann, ducking away from the fire and explosion, and turning his head to glare at the blond God, his eyes widened when he recognised a robot amongst others“Thor watch out!”

Too late. Ultron came flying at Thor, grabbed him and flew away, taking the God with him. Taking out a Desert Eagle, Johann aimed at Ultron’s form but before he fire, a sentry had fired at him, hitting his forearm and making him drop his gun. Johann groaned as pain seized his whole arm and he didn’t have the time to duck or take out his other Desert Eagle because the sentry fired again. A familiar shield passed in front of his face—right before he could get shoot again— and embedded itself into the wall beside him. Reacting immediately, Johann seized the shield with his good arm just as the sentry fired again. The laser rebounded on the shield and Johann ran toward the robot before throwing the shield at it. The sentry sidestepped and aimed at him again before a loud gunshot resonated behind him and the lights of the robot before him blinked before an EMP wave hit around it, deactivating sentries. Turning around, Johann found Steve holding his fallen Desert Eagle, staring at it a bit impressed.

“Nice bullets”said the blond as Johann went to pick up the blond’s shield…Only to flung it at sentries that appeared behind the American Icon, decapitating most of them.

“Nice shield”replied the German man with a smirk and the blond gave him his smirk back, throwing the gun at the sapphire-eyed man while activating the magnets in his gauntlet.

“All right, we're all clear here”came Clint’s voice in their comm.

“We are not clear! We are very not clear!”replied Steve before throwing his shield at a sentry then dropkicking it, severing the sentry in two.

“All right, coming to you”replied the archer.

“I’ll lend you a hand too”Bucky said in the comm.“Is Harry with you? I haven’t seen him in a while”

“He’s not here”growled Johann, his hidden blade in his right gauntlet slicing a sentry in half while his left hand fired EMP bullets“Was he alright?”

“Oh yeah! Took out all the robots in the area I was fighting”replied Bucky while he sliced another sentry—Thank fuck for Vibranium and Adamentium alloy!

“Remind me to put a tracker on him”growled Johann.

“I second that”said Steve as he threw his shield at more robots.

“No need for that, boys, look”drawled Natasha, pointing to something in the crowd of robots.

Turning their heads toward where the Russian was pointing, they found a thin wisp of black smoke snaking their way toward them rather quickly. The sentries the wisp touched seemed to trip their circuits. The robots’ attention turned to the wisp as it halted and a black column of smoke appeared, twirling and swirling dangerously. The column disappeared as a familiar voice shouted a spell, blasting the closest sentries to pieces while blasting away the farthest from the shockwave. Harry stood where the column used to be, his eyes shining eerily as he cast spells after spells at the sentries, showing the Muggles why he was considered the Saviour of the Wizard World back in Britain. Any sentry that tried to hit him, passed through him as he shifted his form from solid to smoky then were fried by the swirling magic around the wizard.

“Ultron is an idiot”drawled Harry, gathering his magic“He should have known that magic and technology doesn’t mingle well!”

The wizard released the magic he had gathered in a strong shockwave, frying instantly the sentries that were in the area. But doing so, depleted magically the wizard who fell to his knees, heaving heavily. Steve and Johann toward their bonded and helped him up. Steve raised his head and his eyes widened.

“Romanoff!”—Steve threw his shield at the redhead as a sentry who had, miraculously, survived Harry’s shockwave attacked her.

“Thanks”replied the redhead as she caught the shield and punched the robot with it.

The robot was too weak from the Magical Shockwave it didn’t stand a chance against Nat, much less Pietro when he slammed into it. Wanda ran up to the wizard as he struggled to stand, blood leaking from his nose.

“’M alright”muttered the wizard, wiping the blood with his sleeve“Gimmie a mo’ an’ I’ll be re’dy t’go a’ it”

“You’re not alright, Harry and you know it”hissed Johann and Steve nodded quickly.

“Please don’t tell me I missed the party”

Everybody turned their head and found Bucky, who was breathing heavily from what appeared to be a long run.

“Alright we won’t tell you”replied Pietro and Bucky groaned.

Harry leaned heavily on Johann as his knees seemed weak. He hadn’t recuperated enough since their earlier fight with Ultron in Seoul.

“We need to lead the civilians somewhere safer than here”ordered Steve as he went to help the wounded and the children.

The other imitated him except Johann who stayed on the look-out, Harry at his side as the wizard rested a little.

“ _The peace will be short_ ”said Johann through their bond“ _I can see something’s is brewing in the horizon_ ”

“ _Copy that_ ”replied the blond before saying out-loud in his comm.“The next wave's gonna hit any minute, what have you got, Stark?”

“Well, nothing great”came Tony’s voice“Maybe a way to blow up the city, that'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear”

“I asked for a solution, not an escape plan”replied the American Icon

“Impact radius is getting bigger every second”said Tony“We're going to have to make a choice”

“He’s not wrong”piped Johann helpfully and Steve shushed him through their bond.

“Cap, these people are going nowhere”said Natasha, coming up beside the American“If Stark finds a way to blow this rock…”

“Not 'til everyone's safe”replied Rogers in a tone that left no arguments.

“Rogers, unless the serum has given you the ability to fly and transport a million of people at once, we can’t”reasoned Johann and immediately Steve sent a wave of anger at the sapphire-eyed man.  
“Everyone up here versus everyone down there? There's no math there”reasoned too Natasha.

“I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it”replied Steve, glaring at her.

“I didn't say we should leave”replied the Russian woman, making Steve look at her“There's worse ways to go”—Natasha stared at the cloudy landscape with a small smile—“Where else am I gonna get a view like this?”

Steve stared at her a bit more before a new voice was heard

“Glad you like the view, Romanoff”said Fury’s voice“It's about to get better”

Something grey gradually peaked up from the clouds and the two Avengers stared at the Helicarrier that appeared.

“Nice, right? I pulled her out of mothballs with a couple of old friends”informed the man“She's dusty, but she'll do”

“Please, tell me I’m not imagining things”said Johann from the comm.

“You’re not, Schmidt”replied Steve with a smirk“Fury, you son of a bitch”

“Ooooh! Do your husbands love that mouth of yours?”joked the man.

“Oh yeah!”replied amusedly Harry while Johann cursed in his comm.

Some small doors in the hull of the Helicarrier opened and lifeboat flew toward them.

“Jo”—Johann turned around to see Harry standing—“Let’s go help the civilians board the lifeboats”

Johann exhaled loudly.

“You know I can’t outright refuse this”replied the brunet and Harry huffed a laugh before both made their way to the building where the civilians had taken refuge.

As soon as they went to help the people, sentries appeared and flew towards the Helicarrier.

“We need to make this quick”said Steve when he noticed the robots.

Harry cast a translation charm before he put his wand against his throat.

“ _S.H.I.E.L.D. has come to help you”_ said the wizard in Sokovian“ _Get calmly and quickly to the lifeboat, we’re not leaving a single one of you behind”_

Even if you tell a crowd to calm down, they will still panic but Harry was used to it, sadly. The people poured out of their hiding place and ran toward the lifeboats. Harry followed them, sometime helping a child up when they fell or covering the civilians with his magic when sentries turned toward them. Just as he was about to blast off a bot, it was shot at and Harry turned his head toward the source of the fire and smiled. Rhodey was here and helping them by blowing up any sentries.

“Rhodey, don’t worry about the civilians, I’ve got it”informed Harry in the comm.

“But I want a story to tell!”replied jokingly War Machine.

“Only if you live to tell it”came Tony’s voice as he appeared and fired at a sentry before flying next to Rhodey.

“You think I can't hold my own?”

“We get through this, I'll hold your own”

“You had to make it weird”drawled the dark-skinned man as a robot shot at them.

“Guys, play nice and focus”drawled Harry.

“Yes Mom!”joked Tony and Harry shook his head while rolling his eyes and watched as Tony and Rhodey fired at the sentries.

“One day, Stark, I swear!”muttered to himself the wizard, casting a _Confrigo_ at a sentry that came a bit too close to his comfort.

Every Avengers led the civilians to the lifeboats, even Johann. The man made sure nobody was left behind from the hiding places. A cry grabbed his attention and he immediately ran toward it. A child, no more than 3 or 4 years old was crying, soot and scratches on their skin. Muttering soothing words, the man picked up the child and ran toward one of the lifeboats and there, an old woman extended her hands toward him and Johann gladly handed her his weightless burden before going back in the rumbles to look for more people who had been forgotten. He did that for a moment, sometimes picking up and helping crying children or toddlers, sometimes he was carrying wounded or elderly people. He had never cared before, of the ravages a catastrophe could have and now that he was on the other side of the fence, he had an idea of what a hero’s job was like. And to be frank, he preferred to be on the bad side, because he doesn’t have to worry about people dying or having to help them. There are no words in any languages to say how evil and selfish his thoughts were, but that how he was. He was a villain with a conscience. A conscience that will haunt him whenever he will plan to try and ‘destroy’ the Avengers.

“JO WATCH OUT!”

Johann’s eyes widened and he ducked just in time a laser fired by a sentry before it was squashed by an invisible force.

“Now is not the moment to daydream, Jo!”shouted Harry

Johann shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“Sorry, my bad”replied the man before going into a building and looking around.

A loud explosion occurred followed by screams. Harry’s eyes widened when he saw a lifeboat had been hit. A lifeboat that was full of people.

“Oh Merlin, no”breathed the wizard before raising his head and seeing more sentries going after the lifeboats.

Snarling, the wizard shifted form and smoked toward the sentries, his magic pulsing as he swirled around a sentry and fried their circuits. Two something poked his mind.

“ _Harry, we need to regroup at the church, now!”_ informed Steve

“ _Don’t worry about the civilians, Fury is about to send Falcon to help Rhodey”_ added Johann.

Sending a wave of annoyance, Harry concede to his bonded and flew toward the church, at the centre of the town. He arrived just as the first sentries were taken out by Tony, Thor, Pietro and Vision and he sent a small shockwave to shut off the others. Johann and Steve arrived at the same time—with Steve taking a sentry that was crawling toward the Core— Clint, Bucky and Wanda arrived next then Natasha.

“What's the drill?”asked Natasha, taking a stance by Tony

“This is the drill”replied the genius, pointing at the metal thing jutting from the ground“If Ultron gets a hand on the core, we lose”

“Okay, protect the thing from the Psycho AI, got it”drawled Johann as all of them made a protective circle around the thing.

Hulk landed near an entrance, smashing the sentries that were about to enter, and the group noticed a familiar presence floating behind him.

“Is that the best you can do?!”taunted Thor

Ultron raised up an arm and a swarm of Ultron Sentries came running behind him.

“You had to ask?/Why did you open your mouth again?”drawled both super soldiers at the same time, throwing a dark look at the Thunderer.

“This is the best I can do”said Ultron“This is exactly what I wanted, all of you against all of me…How can you possibly hope to stop me?”

Harry gave a snort.

“Like the old man said… _Together_ ”replied Tony.

Hulk roared and the sentries charged at them but before they could enter, a gigantic fire wall appeared around the church. The Avengers turned toward Harry who was waving his wand in large circles above his head, his eyes lit with unmistakable power and magic. It was at this moment everyone knew Harry was the strongest wizard alive. The Avengers could recognise some creatures—like snakes, dragons or lions— in the fire as it swirled angrily and hotly around them.

“I wish you luck to get through my _Fiendfyre_!”snarled Harry, his face contorted with concentration as he tried to rein in the strong spell and uncontrollable fire to swirl around the church only and the Elder Wand was of a great help as she would never let anything bad happen to her master.

Some sentries were able to pass through the fire, but while some were beaten by the Avengers, others were grasped by the fire—either in the shape of a serpent’s coil or the paw of lion— and taken right back inside it. Harry never stopped his waving around, if he did, the fire would swarm them instead of the bots and it would be all over. It was the second time in his life he used the _Fiendfyre_ , the first time had been to stop a rogue Death Eater who had raised an army of Inferi and he remembered how tiring it was to cast the spell. He had been lucky to have somewhat of a control over it—Again, thanks to the Elder Wand. He had only been able to hold the spell for 5 minutes before it became too much for him and his magic.

‘ _And five minutes is more than enough to take down a good chunk of the sentries’_ thought Harry as he kept on waving his wand.

The first three minutes were the easiest, but the last were the worse. The spell always tried to take over in those last minutes and he always battled it until the fire died out. He was so tired he wasn’t even sure he could hold on for the last minutes. Groaning, Harry sensed the spell trying to take control and had to fight it, diminishing the fire wall and allowing more sentries to enter.

“Hum…Harry?”asked Tony as more sentries seemed to pour in.

“So-So-rry…C-C-Can’t hold much……L-L-Longer”breathed the wizard, his waving slowing down.

The fire wall lasted for a few more seconds before the creatures in it gave a dying roar and disappeared…And sentries poured in as he fell to his knees. He didn’t have enough magic to protect himself and could only depend on the Avengers beside him—Bucky and Wanda— who protected him and the core from Ultron and his robots. Harry breathed in then out, his limbs pricking and trembling as he stood up and blast Ultron away when the robot had flew in and tackled Vision against a wall but that was all he could do. He nose bled again and he cried bloody tears. He wasn’t used to releasing this much magic in such a short-san of days and his body was rebelling against him. He faintly heard Vision, Thor and Tony move toward where he had blasted Ultron as he fell to his knees.

“Fuck”hissed Johann as he kneeled beside his wizard.

Harry put his head on Johann’s shoulder and closed his red eyes, the tears of blood trailing down onto Schmidt’s suit.

“Uhh! You know…”they heard Ultron said“With the benefit of hindsight…”

There was a loud thump before the sound of flash hitting metal then a roar.

“Looks like Hulk took out our problem”commented Bucky, coming right next to them“Fuck, Potter, you look like you went through hell seven times and came back”

“Feel like it”replied the wizard as Johann picked him up gently.

“We need to evac. Him, now!”hissed Johann and Steve nodded before turning to the rest of them.

“You’ll be fine without us?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, go take Wonder Brat for a well deserved rest”said Tony“We’ll handle the rest”

Just as Tony finished that sentence, both super soldiers shot out of the church and ran toward where—they hoped— the lifeboats were waiting.

“They are trying to leave the city”said Steve in his comm. as he saw sentries try to leave.

“We can’t let a single one escape! Rhodey, Sam, you two are on!”

“Roger, Cap!”said Sam

The two super soldiers ran, but their battle and the air that was become rarer slowled them down a bit.

“Everybody needs to move out!”ordered Steve, breathing heavily and slowing his pace a bit along with Johann“Air’s getting thinner, Schmidt and I can barely held out, I fear what’s for you guys, Schmidt you take Harry to a lifeboat then we’ll sweep for stragglers”

“Alright”said the German man.

“What about the core? Someone needs to protect it”said Bucky.

“I'll protect it” said Wanda“It's my job”

“Alright”said the archer“Bucks, Nat, with me”

“You too, Silver Bastard”said Bucky.  


—

 

By chance, there were some lifeboats still here. Johann immediately put Harry down in one of them before running off—not without a kiss— to help Rogers finish off any sentry that was alive and kicking. Harry breathed heavily and with difficulties, he almost regretted not having enough magic to cast an _Anapneo_ or a _Bubblehead_ charm. After a few moments, Nat and Clint appeared, having driven their way to the lifeboats. Harry faintly heard a roar before he saw Natasha vanish somewhere into a building while Clint walked toward him.

“How you doin’?”asked Clint, crouching to his eye-level.

“Been better”wheezed the wizard, coughing and spitting blood on the ground“You should go help the civilians, see if everyone is on and safe”

Clint nodded, clasped the wizard’s shoulder gently before standing and helping the people into the lifeboat. Harry closed his eyes—and more tears of blood trailed down— and rested a little, his magic replenishing slowly with each second. After a minute, his breathing quelled, after two his limbs stopped shaking and pricking and after three, he could stand and limp.

‘ _It’s better than nothing’_ thought the wizard as he limped out of the lifeboat and helped the remaining civilians in.

“You should rest”chided Clint, coming next to him.

“I’ll rest when all this bullshit is over and done with”replied the wizard, slowly making his way to the lifeboat.

Clint followed him but halted after a few steps, looking at something in the rumbles.

“Clint?”

The archer didn’t listen to him and broke into a mad dash toward the rumbles

“Clint! Clint, what are you doing?!”

From where he stood, he could barely see what the archer was doing but after a moment, he could see what the archer was holding. Well, more like who. A dirty and a bit battered kid, maybe a year or two younger than James and Lily. As Clint ran tiredly toward the shuttle, Harry watched as a plane—their motherfucking Avenjet— fired toward them.

‘ _Merlin, no!’_

Harry didn’t think, he ran toward them, his battered and tired body protesting strongly. A whoosh sounded near him as he was nearing the archer. The shots were approaching quickly and Harry watched as Pietro pushed Clint and the child into the safety of an upside-down car. Dread filled him as he realised Pietro was playing the Hero card and immediately threw his last spell at the man, pushing him behind the car with Clint before he felt his body being pierced by the bullets. It hurt worse than a swarm of wasps’ sting and Harry barely held back the whimper of pain that escaped his lips. Soon, there were no more shots and Harry was struggling to stand still.

“Harry!?”

Raising his eyes from the ground, the wizard stared at the three persons and smiled before opening his mouth to tell them everything was fine……And blood poured out of his mouth and he fell. Harry could feel himself die slowly, his wounds stinging and pulsing, and his remaining magic draining slowly. But the worst of it, was the sharp severing of the bond.

—

 

“Thor, I'm gonna need you back in the church”came’s Tony’s voice through their comm. as Johann led the last of the civilians who were in the farthest part of the town to the shuttle.

“Is this the last of them?”asked Steve when Thor came up to him along with Johann  
“Yeah”answered the blond“Everyone else is on the carrier”

“Good, then we can go”said Johann and Steve nodded“Hope Harry will hold on”

“Y'know, if this works, we maybe don't walk away”added Tony

“Maybe not”said Thor.

Before the blond God could twirl his hammer and move, a jet fired at them. Steve grabbed Johann around his shoulder and protected the both of them with his shield as best as he could while Thor ran behind the statue they had been standing beside. Once the shots passed by them, Johann and Steve raised their heads at the plane then where it was firing…And dread filled them. They watched as Harry ran toward Clint who was holding a child then was pushed by Pietro behind a car before the silverhaired mutant was blasted behind it too by the wizard. And suddenly, pain that wasn’t theirs pierced them and they barely held out a whine of pain as they toppled down. The shots stopped as quickly as they came and they saw Harry still standing shakily, blood seeping out from the many holes in his body before the wizard fell and they felt the worst pain seized them. Their bond was broken, severed and Steve barely held out a gasp.

Harry was dead.

Harry was dead.

Harry was dead.

Harry was dead.

“We need to move!”roared Thor, snapping them back to reality“NOW!”

Both super soldiers nodded—and Thor took this as his cue to leave for the church— and stood up shakily before running up to Harry, the wizard’s body being carried by a heartbroken Pietro. When the mutant saw them, Johann was sure the young man was about to burst into tears and apology profusely but a look from Steve stopped the man. Silent, tired, battered and doleful, they boarded the last shuttle—a battered woman coming up to Clint to take her child back from him— before it took off. Tiredly, Johann slumped down in a corner of the shuttle, Steve sitting beside him before Pietro laid the body of their husband on their laps. A man came up to them and Clint waved him off gently.  
“No, no, we’re fine”said the archer before lying down on unoccupied seats of the shuttle and Pietro came to sit by him, at the foot of the seats.

“I’m so sorry”said the mutant“I should…I should have…”  
“Don’t sweat it, kid”breathed Clint“It's been a long day”

“B-B-But…”

“Harry knew exactly was he was doing”came Steve’s voice, startling the young man“It’s…It’s okay”

“How can it be okay?! He’s dead!”shouted Pietro, he didn’t understand why the two super soldiers weren’t pounding him or killing him, he wasn’t able to save their husband for fuck’s sake!

“Harry’s dead, yes, but not for long”said Johann.

Pietro stared blankly at him and suddenly, Sokovia dropped from the sky.  


 

—

_He was on his back and he was in pain. The phantom pain of shot wounds echoing in his whole body was painful enough for him to moan._

_“Well, of all death, this one is actually painful”came a voice beside him._

_Turning his head on one side, Harry stared at the figure of Death and heaved a —painful— sigh._

_“Hello, Death”_

_“Hello, Master”replied the being“We really need to stop meeting like this”_

_“Well, if there is a way for us to meet without me having to die, I’m all ears”_

_With great difficulties, Harry rolled on his stomach before, slowly, kneeling._

_“Sadly, if there was, I would have used it long ago”replied Death“I can only reach you when someone close is going to die or…”_

_“Or…?”—Death seemed wary to talk suddenly—“Death?”—Death stayed silent—“Death, answer me”ordered the wizard._

_Death sighed._

_“Or a powerful artefact is near”answered Death after a beat“But not just any kind of powerful artefact, an artefact that is linked to me, like the Stones”_

_“And the Tesseract”added Harry._

_Death stayed silent, her empty sockets boring into his green eyes._

_“Only the Stones”_

_“But the Tessera-”Harry cut himself as it dawned on him and his eyes widened“The Tesseract is a Stone”_

_“It is”replied Death“The Stones are linked to me through another being”_

_“Another being?”—Death nodded, looking suddenly worried, which put him off and on guard._

_“You should be careful, Master”warned Death_

_“Why?”_

_Harry was now sure Death was worried._

_“Something bigger is coming”warned Death“For you, and for the world…… **HE** is coming”_

_Before Harry could ask more questions, the logo of Deathly Hallow on his chest burned._

 

—

 

Coming back to life is a weird and powerful sensation. It was like being born again or falling into a deep sleep then waking. One second he was talking with Death before being sent back to his body—which he hope hasn’t been buried—and the next second he was gasping and gulping his first breath, his lungs having lost their usual habit at his death. People are moving around him and an oxygen mask is gently put over his lower face and he can only gulp the air greedily, his whole body hurting from the gun wounds—and the mark on his chest— and coming back from the dead.

“Don’t ever do that again, Potter”growled a voice.

Harry squinted toward it before something was put on his nose and he could see the world clearly.

“Then stop playing the hero”replied Harry in a joking manner, his voice croaky from disuse.

“Be glad you’re hurt and in a bed, Potter”growled Clint.

Harry snorted, sitting up shakily and was about to climb down the bed he was in but two pairs of hands stopped him and laid him back and Harry gazed into Johann’s and Steve’s stern yet worried look. Harry gave them his most charming smile.

“Hey there”

Johann bared his teeth before moving the mask away and bending down to kiss his lips, quickly imitated by Steve when he was done.

“Loves, I just found my breath back, don’t steal it again”wheezed Harry.

“You more than scared us, Potter”growled Johann, feeling the bond between the three of them form again.

“And a severed bond is a terrible pain, just so you know”growled Steve.

Harry gave him a smile before he stared at every person present.

“Did we won?”

“We did”answered Tony and Harry let out a relieved breath.

“Great, great”breathed the wizard, leaning back on his bed“And how many casualties?”

Heavy silence.

“Nothing has been done yet”replied Johann.

“Jo, for a villain, you should be an expert in lying”

Johann snapped his mouth shut.

“They believe there is a four thousands casualties and still counting”informed Natasha slowly and Harry closed his eyes.

“How many people were saved?”asked the wizard tiredly.

“More than twelve thousands”replied slowly Steve and Harry gave a slow nod.

“How long was I out?”

“Three-four days, give or take”replied Vision

Harry breathed in and out slowly, his eyes closed.

“Why did you this?”asked Pietro, startling him gently“Why? You have partners and a family, why did you do this and sacrificed yourself?”

Harry gave him a small smile.

“I have two reasons, first I’m an immortal, I can’t die, well I can but I always come back to my body as you can see”replied Harry sadly“Both Steve and Jo know it, having witnessed it first, and second, because I’m an Avenger, I protect the Earth and its inhabitants at any cost, even my life, so it’s time I put my curse into use rather than mope about it”—Harry gave a wide smile—“I need to make my peace about my condition, it’s better to do it now, who knows what could happen next”

“Maybe you should ask that at Stark”said Johann, glaring at the genius—who looked away.

“Jo…”growled Harry.

“Don’t ‘Jo’ me! You know I’m right”—Johann inhaled sharply before glaring at the genius—“I need to ask you Stark, are you going to pull another thing like that? Just so I can brace myself for another apocalypse and maybe another bond severing!”

“Jo’, calm down”soothed Harry.

“ _Den Teufel werde ich tun!_ ”snarled Johann“Do you know what Rogers or I felt when our bond severed? Cutting my heart with a rusty spoon or ripping all my limbs would have hurt less that what I felt! I literally felt myself being torn and ripped apart!”—Johann breathed heavily in then out—“So if I have to feel this again, Stark, you better tell me if you have another of you awesome and world wrecking hidden somewhere in your lab. so that I can mentally and physically prepare myself to feel like I’m being swallowed, chewed then spit out so that I can walk it off!”

Steve stayed silent, understanding Schmidt’s rage and pain while all eyes turned to the residential genius. Tony had his warded mask plastered on his face and gave a shit-eating smirk at the Founder of HYDRA.

“Don’t get your panties in a notch, I have no plan for world domination, I leave that to you, since you’re better at it”replied the genius with fake enthusiasm.

“That’s not what I asked”hissed the super soldier.

“Then I have no idea what you want from me?”

“Schmidt”said warningly Steve as Johann looked ready to transform Stark into a bloody pulp.

“Jo’, settle down please…”soothed Harry, taking Johann’s hand in his and squeezing it gently.

“And yet, Skull has a point”said Bucky“It’s not like I don’t trust you, Stark, but you gotta admit what you did was…”—Bucky made a a wide gesture with his arms—“And I too would like a warning about your good intentions toward the world”

“And you know what they say about good intentions…”drawled the German man and Harry hit him on the shoulder warningly.

Tony heaved a sigh.

“You won’t have to worry”said the genius with a fake wide smile“I’m resigning”

“What?!”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Tony, don’t listen to them, th-”

“They are right, Harry”said the genius, cutting any protestation from some of the Avengers“I wanted to do good, and look where it led us, a near world extinction and a broken team and I…I can’t do it again”

“Tony, just take a few days off”soothed Harry“You’ll feel better after, then you can dork and nerd out in your lab. with Bruce and…”

Harry didn’t know why but the face of some Avengers became sombre. Tony heaved a huge sigh.

“Bruce left us…”informed Natasha, a warded note in her voice.

Harry stared at the genius.

“Tones…”

“Harry you need to understand”said slowly the genius“I’m not that much of a good guy, I spent most of my life making weapons for a living, weapons that killed many innocents in wars”—Tony gave a sorrowful gaze at the Maximoff twins—“I have been called the Merchant of Death…When I became Ironman, I thought I could shake off my reputation but there’s nothing to do, I will always end up bringing death”—Harry opened his mouth to interrupt but Tony held up a hand—“I’ll always will, Harry and _you know it_ , Master of Death…I wish I could stop but I can’t, everything I’ve done so far is I bringing death to the neighborhood then clean up the mess I made to do it all over again”

A heavy silence settled into the room.

“Who flew after a complete stranger when he was pummelling down to his death?”

Tony looked exhasperated.

“Harry…”

“Just humour me, Anthony Edward Stark”growled Harry, sitting criss-cross on the bed and turning to face the genius“So… Who flew after a complete stranger when he was pummelling down to his death?”—Tony pursed his lips but stayed silent—“Who flew a nuke into deep space and nearly died from asphyxia?”—Again Tony stayed silent—“Who went against everyone in this team to make the only being that could have helped us save the world? And who helped save the world, again, and save as many lives as they could, making sure the death toll wasn’t that high?”—Tony looked into Harry’s glowing eyes—“You…I admit, you did mistakes, but who here in this room hasn’t made a single mistake raised their hand, Vision, lower your hand, you’re too young to vote”—Tony couldn’t help the snort that escaped him as he saw the android lower his hand—“Tones, everybody makes mistakes, all of us here we made mistakes, yes, but you know what’s important?”—Tony shook his head—“We clean our mistakes and we learn from them and that’s what you did, you admitted your mistakes and went to clean them, now do you want to do that again?”—Tony shook his head negatively—“There, you learned your lesson……And, personally knowing you, I know you could have done much, much worse”

Tony bit his lips.

“And what if one day I start doing something much, much worse? What if, from my protective maniacness, I create something worse than Ultron?”

“Then we’ll be there to stop it”replied the wizard, using the same condescending and paternal tone as Steve“All of us, together as a team”

“But what if?!”

Harry gave a sad smile at Tony.

“Tones, what if HYDRA had won WWII?”said the wizard“What if Steve hadn’t been found in the ice? What if he had been found but had died? What if I had the proper training to defeat Voldemort when I was 14 or 15, do you have any idea how much lives I would have saved? What if? What if? The thing is, Tones, we could reshape the world with ‘What if’s”—Harry paused—“We all screwed up, not just as super-heroes but as humans as well, and worse, as friends and family, but the thing we have to do is mope our mess, gather ourselves back and move on, it’s hard but it is the only thing that can keep you sane”

Tony bit his lips and looked away and Harry climbed down the bed and walked—limped—toward the genius and gathered him in his arms. Tony tensed in his arms before he welcomed his hug.

“Harry, you ever done something that you though was a good idea and got people killed?”whispered the genius.

“More than once”replied the wizard“Maybe not at the scale you did but, yeah, I did but Tones, you shouldn’t think about the people that died this day, think of the people you were able to save, every single one of those lives is worth ten deaths”

Tony nodded slowly before burying his face in Harry’s neck and the smaller wizard strengthening his embrace.

“Harry?”

“Mmh?”

“Maybe you should put some clothes on”said Tony“Not that I personally mind but I’d rather not get pound to death by two jealous super soldiers”

Harry laughed. Suddenly a phone rang. All heads turned toward Johann as the man fished his phone from his pocket. The group watched as Johann frowned as he stared at the caller ID before taking the call.

“Skye? What is it?”asked Johann.

The Avengers watched as all kind of emotions passed on his face before hanging up.

“Looks like our days off are over”—Johann pocketed his phone as looked at Harry—“Skye’s been requesting you, for help”

Harry raised an eyebrow.

“Then, what are we waiting for? I can stand, I have some of my magic, what’s the matter?”

Both super soldiers shared a look before eyeing the naked wizard.

“You just came back to life”replied both men at the same time.

“And you want to go back on the field, you’re crazy”drawled Steve.

The raven-haired wizard gave them a smug smirk.

“You should know by now, you married me after all”

Steve couldn’t help the huffed laugh he gave while Johann passed a hand over his face.

 

—

 

Harry teleported Steve and Johann with him inside Coulson’s secret base, in the hangar and found the place to be trashed.

“What happened in here?”wondered out-loud Harry

“Apart from saving the world, nothing”came a voice behind them.

Turning around, the triumvirate stared at a tired and battered Phil Coulson, his left arm slung.

“Coulson, what-?”

Harry gaped at what was left of the man’s left arm.

“What happened?”asked Johann“Last time we saw you, you were in one piece”

Steve elbowed the brunet while Coulson gave them a tight smile.

“Long story”said the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

“Same for this?”Harry pointed at Phil’s sling.

“Yeah, but I’ll make it short for you, had to be cut”—Coulson moved his left shoulder—“To save my life”

“And you thought it would be cool to cure it by pulling something straight from The Walking Dead?”drawled Johann

“If there had been a more…painless cure, I would have taken it in a blink”replied the smaller brunet with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes before turning to Harry“Thank you for coming quickly, if you could follow me”

Harry smiled at the man and nodded before following him, Steve and Johann on their heels.

“What can I say, there’s nothing better to go back in the field after being dead!”

Coulson stared at him with a smile.

“Be careful, Phil, he really was dead just a few hours ago”informed Steve and Coulson openly gaped at the wizard.

“You died?”

“Yeah, tried to save two idiots when Ultron attacked Sokovia”replied Harry with a sheepish look“I have this weird ability”

“Let’s just say that Harry is one of the most powerful being on Earth and he can’t die”said tightly Steve“He has been dead for a few days before Skye called”

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have called”piped a voice.

Harry turned his head and saw the brunette, bruised, battered and tired. Walking up to her, the wizard gathered her in his arms gently.

“It’s okay, you needed my help”said the wizard as he released her.

“But still, you were dead”

“And Steve ordered us to walk it off if we were killed, I just followed his orders”replied the wizard with a wide grin“So, what exactly do you need my help for?”

Skye bit her lips.

“Well, you remember when I asked what a wizard can do and you told me it was better to ask what they couldn’t do?”—Harry nodded—“Well, I was wondering if you…If you could erase someone’s memories?”

Harry stared curiously at the brunette.

“Skye, before I give an answer, may I ask why?”

“Daisy”

“Sorry?”

“My name, my real name…Is Daisy”

Harry tilted his head on one side before smiling.

“Does your name have to do with the answer of your question?”—Sky-Daisy nodded and Harry smiled—“Well, Daisy, yes, wizards can wipe the memories of another person, can I ask why?”

“My parents”replied the woman.

The woman gave them a quick run down of what happened as she led them to where he remembered the cells were. Opening the last door then climbing down the stairs, Harry saw a man in an askew suit, with unkempt hair holding what seemed to be the corpse of a woman. Without his knowing, his eyes shifted from green to pitch-black, making Sk-Daisy gasp.

“Harry got a few new powers before we went against Ultron”informed Johann“They were helpful for somepart”

“And what’s with the demon’s eyes from Supernatural?”asked S-Daisy—Johann repeated in his head ‘Daisy’ a hundred times.

“I can see if people are alive, Muggle, Wizard and so forth”replied the wizard, staring at Daisy—seeing her as a white light stripped yellow that seemed to vibrate— then Coulson—a white light that was speckled black at the left arm, where the hand was supposed to be— then the two being in the cell and his eyes widened“How can she be alive?”

Daisy seemed startled by what he said.

“She’s alive?”

The black-eyed wizard nodded.

“Alive being are white, some are blue to indicate they have magic in them and some are of other colours”informed Harry“The man…I see him white but he has a few black spots or stripes”

“Black spots and stripes?”asked Coulson“What does that mean?”

“Black means dead or wounded”replied Harry“You might want to look at your arm again, I see a few black dots in it”

“And the woman?”asked waily Daisy.

“She’s all black and white”replied Harry“With all the black, I’d say she’d be dead but the white colour says she’s alive”—Harry stared at Daisy, his eyes back to normal—“Sky-Daise, who is she?”

The brunette looked away.

“She’s my mother”said Daisy in a small voice“And he’s my father”

“……Ah………”—Behind the wizard, Steve shared a flummoxed look with a surprised Johann and both turned to Coulson who gave a solemn nod at their unasked question.

The woman nodded.

“I…Could you erase my father’s memories? And…”—Daisy swallowed with difficulties and his eyes narrowed dangerously—“And…”

“No”replied Harry, his stare hard, startling Daisy“I will erase your father’s memorises but not the rest”

“Harry…”

“Daise, you can’t just-”Harry cut himself, looking at the two people in the cell, completely oblivious of them“I refuse”

“Harry, please”

“No, you can’t simply ask me to _kill your mother”_ hissed Harry.

“You’re maybe the only person who might do it”said Daisy“She has been through Whitehall’s experimentations”—Johann’s eyes widened in recognition—“And survived, my father broke her spines into pieces, she’s paralysed but she survived”

“I can’t just kill her”hissed Harry“She is _your mother_ , the person you have always wanted in your life as you went from foster home to another”—Harry looked away—“I would have killed to have both my parents with me as I grew up”

Daisy glared at him.

“A mother is supposed to love her child and not lie to them”replied Daisy in an angry tone that made him raise an eyebrow“My mother died after I was born”

Harry stared sadly at Daisy.

“Are you aware of what you’re asking from me?”

“I am”replied Daisy, determinedly“And earlier that day I went against her to stop her, _permanently_ ”

Harry gave a slow and wide nod before passing a hand on his face then through his hair.

“…Very well”

 

—

 

They release the man, Cal Zabo, first—Harry even cast a _Petrificus Totalus_ on the woman, just in case. Daisy gently explained to him that he was here to help him after they talked—and Harry could see the happiness in Daisy’s eyes when Cal told her her date of birth.

“I just need you to answer me some questions”

“Very well”replied the man.

“We…Have a program about re-insering people in the society and I’d like to know what would be your dream job”

“Well, I have a medical background so maybe a doctor or a vet”

“You do know those are two different things?”—The man nodded with a smile—“Very well, we’ll see if we have something that can suit your criteria…Since it a re-inserting program, we always ask if you want to change alias”

“No need”replied the man.

Harry shared a look with Daisy—who gave an almost imperceptible nod. Slowly taking his wand from the holster around his arm, Harry thought about a background for the man.

“ _Get ready to catch him”_ informed Harry to Steve and Johann through their bond before he wiped his wand out and pointed at Cal“Obliviate”—There was a white flash and the man fell and was caught by the two super soldiers—“Hold him up and open his eyes for me”—Steve and Johann both forced an eye open.

“He’ll be alright, right?”asked Daisy.

“Yes, don’t worry, _Legilimens”_

Harry entered the man’s mind and slowly started reshaping thoughts and memories, erased some and created new ones. He was exhausted when he was done.

“Did it, guy shouldn’t remember what he went through”informed Harry before looking at Daisy“He won’t remember you”

The woman swallowed uneasily and nodded slowly.

“A plane’s waiting for him, they are to take him back to his old building”said Daisy and both super soldiers nodded, lifting and carrying the man.

“We’ll wait for you in the cell”said Harry as his two husbands walked away, sharing the weightless burden that was Calvin Winslow, while he and Daisy walked to the cell where Daisy’s mother was waiting.

The sight was gruesome and morbid. She had remained unmoving on the ground, and if Harry hadn’t told them, they would have thought she was dead. Coulson was waiting in the cell, staring at the woman with a warded face when they arrived. Activating his demon’s eyes—as Daisy called them— Harry saw the white was taking over some of the black space.

“She’s regenerating”informed Harry, his eyes returning to normal as he turned to the brunette“Are you sure about this? There won’t be any going back once I’m done”

Daisy stayed silent, looking at the ground and playing with the hem of her shirt. Harry patiently waited for her answer until she nodded slowly her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I’m sure”breathed the woman and Harry nodded slowly and Coulson deactivated the wall of the cell, allowing Harry to step inside.

“You don’t have to stay, you know”said Harry as the door opened and Johann and Steve walked in.

“I know, but…”

“Daisy, just because she’s evil doesn’t mean you have to watch her death”said Harry slowly“You may hate her and she may have done horrible things, she’s still your mother”

Daisy bit her lips and nodded slowly. Harry then turned mechanically to the body on the ground. He was sad. Sad because now that he was older, he was a seasoned Auror and vet to a Wizarding War, he was an Avenger, he was of the good guys and yet, the Killing Curse came easily to him. He may have used it on a Leviathan to see if it could work on an alien being but that was it. He didn’t even used it on the rogue Death Eaters he had been chasing and it had itched to use it on Red Skull when he was the man’s prisoner and sex-toy but on an actual living being that did nothing to him? It was unfathomable. And yet, here he was. Closing his eyes, Harry gathered his magic and he didn’t even register the spell that left his lips he just stared blankly at the familiar and eerie green light then nothing, just plain silence. Turning his head toward Daisy, he found her her face hidden in Coulson’s valid shoulder.

 

—

 

They waited a few hours until Harry was well enough to teleport them back to the Tower. Daisy had been silent for most of the day but when came the time to leave, she went up to him and hugged him with all the strength she could muster.

“Thank you, Harry”breathed the woman in his ear and Harry nodded, tightening his hug on the young woman.

“Promise me to take care of yourself”said Harry and Daisy nodded slowly, tears trailing down her cheeks“And to take care of Coulson, he’s going to need a hand”

Daisy snorted and Coulson gave a tight grin.

“Joke was already used Harry, gonna have to do better than that”replied the man.

“But I don’t want you to became _hand_ -sty”said the wizard and the brunet gave a solemn nod.

“Not bad”

Harry eyed the sling then Coulson.

“You know, there are Magical Prostheses than can help with that, or you could always ask Tony for a new hand”

“Maybe, I’ll think about it but if you can find me something that can have finger lasers or something”said Phil with his trademark smile.

“I’ll tell Tony about it, okay and you’ll arrange something with him if you want”

Coulson gave a nod.

“Thank you, Harry, Steve, Schmidt”said Coulson“And before you go, I want you to be careful”

“About what?”asked Steve.

“A toxic component has been released into the sea, we don’t know how much the eco-system has been hit but don’t go for a swim or eat anything from the sea for a while until I give you the green light, okay?”

“Crystal”replied Johann“We’ll warn the Avengers and the family, until then, take care yourselves, I have a feeling this is just the beginning of trouble”

“Agreed”said the brunet as the three disappeared in flames.

 

—

 

For months, they had worked and finally the new S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ were settled—Thanks to Tony who kindly let them use an unused Stark facility or something. Tony still wanted to quit but Harry dissuaded him each time, saying to just take some days off and if he felt like it, to come back for some missions whenever he wanted. Clint had taken a paternity leave so that he could spent as much time with his wife and kids and their newly addition, Nathaniel Pietro Barton—You should have seen Peitro’s face when Clint told them the name of his baby. As he made his way to the trainning room, Harry couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him. Lily and James had been in Hogwarts for two months now and already Lily had been through many detentions—and sometimes James too— and he was entirely blaming Johann.

‘ _Well, at least, now there’s only the two demons to take care of’_ thought the wizard as he carried Cas while holding Zee’s hand—and casting a strengthening charm on his limbs because he didn’t fancy having his bones broken.

Harry smiled when he passed the training room, watching as Steve, Johann and Natasha trained the New Avengers.

‘ _Give it a few months and everything will be back to normal’_ thought Harry as he made his way to the Break Room to grab something to eat.

As he set down his blond son on the ground—and warded the walls not to break when they ran and slammed onto them— his eyes fell on today’s newspaper, mainly on an article.

‘ _New laws are being discussed, some that may drastically change the lives of some people’_ read Harry internally, picking the newspaper‘ _More information on page six’_

He fingered the paper before staring unfocusedly at the article then shaking his head and setting the paper down.

‘ _Yeah, a few months and everything will be fine’_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Translation:  
> Snapsynaps->Spell of my creation, it shuts off the synapses.  
> Du verdammter Arsc(hloch)->You fucking ass(hole/arsehole)  
> Danke, ich verzichte->Thanks but no thanks  
> Das ist etwas ich will sehen!->That’s something I want to see  
> Verdammte Ding, du wirst bewegen!->Fucking thing, you're gonna move!  
> Ziehen!->Pull  
> Wir ziehen!->We’re pulling!  
> Scheiß die Wand an!->Lit. ‘Fuck the wall’, I believe an equivalent of ‘Fuck me sideway!’  
> Kap vor!->Go Cap!  
> Scheiße->Fuck!/Shit!  
> Wirklich toll gemacht-> Well done you  
> Mach dich bereit->Get ready  
> Да, я готовлюсь->Okay, I'm getting ready  
> Jawohl/Ja->Alright/Okay/Yeah/Yes  
> Sie verstehen nicht einmal was ich sage!->You don’t even understand what I’m saying  
> Kapitäin->Captain  
> Ach, ich geb's auf!->Oh, I give up!  
> Du verdammt Fotze-> You fucking cunt!  
> Halt die Klappe-> Shut up  
> Femme au volant, mort au tournant->Lit. ‘women behind the wheel, death await you at the bending’ and yes, we have something like that in France  
> Tu sais que je te comprends->You do know I can understand you  
> Der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert¬->The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions  
> H.U.R.E= Hure->means whore in German  
> Ich habe gesagt, nicht mich loszulassen! Und halt den Rand, Frau->I said not to let me go! And shut up, woman!  
> Den Teufel werde ich tun!->Like hell I will!


End file.
